According to The Metro, he appeared last year to raise money for his father to have a kidney transplant. His family managed to raise $100,000 for his father to get a successful operation in August.
Website KnowYourMeme said the original photo was shot in August 2007 by his mother, Laney Griner. The photo then made the rounds on MySpace after it was uploaded on Flickr and Getty Images, and later, Reddit picked up the meme in 2011, according to Business Insider. The White House even used the image to promote immigration reform.
The meme was originally called “I Hate Sandcastles” but grew into the “Success Kid” meme. Laney said that her son was embarrassed by his association with the meme, reported US Weekly in 2015.
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