Success Kid meme star Sammy Griner helps father in kidney transplant plea

'Success Kid' meme sensation Sammy Griner has helped his poorly father raise vital funds for a potentially life-saving medical procedure.

Eight-year-old Sammy has gained a sort of online immortality after being the subject of a meme which went viral half a decade again and has not shown any sign of slowing down.

Now, his father Justin needs a kidney transplant and Sammy's online popularity has helped propel the family's funding appeal past its $75,000 (£51,000) target.

Hailing the impact of Sammy's online fame, his mother Laney Griner said: "It's all just been really amazing... it never stops being weird, and it never stops being awesome."

Husband Justin, pictured below with Sammy, has been on dialysis for six years and the gruelling process has taken a toll. "Six years on dialysis is getting to be a long time," said Laney. "It's wearing on him. I just want to get him healthy."

She told ABC she opted not to directly use Sammy's web fame to promote the funding appeal, but that it played a role anyway by drawing hundreds of donors in a matter of days.

"By now, it's just out there. What am I going to do? At least it's positive," said Laney. "Without that happening, how much could I get this recognition about my husband's kidney transplant?"