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Lucas Gonzalez pulls through after Reddit-funded operation

The three-year-old whom Reddit rallied to save last December had his operation today. He's doing just fine.

 

Kevin Morris

IRL

Posted on Mar 14, 2012   Updated on Jun 2, 2021, 8:03 pm CDT

Remember Lucas Gonzalez?

Last year Redditors rallied around the three-year-old, who suffers from a rare immunodeficiency disorder. They helped raise $50,000 so his family could afford costs related to a bone-marrow transplant.

Today, Lucas had his operation. So far, he’s doing just fine.

“The transplant is complete and so far Lucas is doing well with no complications,” Lucas’s aunt, Lisa Coleman, wrote in an email posted to Reddit. “He’s resting now!”

Reddit rose up to support Lucas after a family friend posted photographs of Lucas to the site’s r/assistance section in December. Within 12 hours the family had met its donation goal.

Lucas’s father, Luis Gonzalez, got a Reddit tattoo as a thank you measure to the site that saved his family from an unbearable financial burden.

Redditor backpackwayne, who moderates the r/assistance community, stayed in close contact with the family, and has provided running updates on Lucas since Monday. He’s also encouraging redditors to sign up as donors, so other kids like Lucas have a chance at getting a transplant.

The family hasn’t forgotten the community that rallied to support them.

“Thanks so much for all of your thoughts, prayers and support,” Lisa Coleman wrote in her message to Reddit. “It means the world to us!”

Image via Love for Lucas

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*First Published: Mar 14, 2012, 4:42 pm CDT