The Kiffness has raised over R1 million to support eight-year-old Rylyn Clark in his fight against Lyme Disease.
South Africa’s David Scott, known locally and internationally as The Kiffness, has raised over R1 million for a bright eight-year-old boy battling illness.
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Scott is one of South Africa’s popular YouTubers, known for his viral remixes that add a musical spin on viral videos. In 2022, he made it onto popular US talk show, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, for collaborating with a cat. In short, The Kiffness will make you smile.
Beyond stirring up smiles, the South African creative has crept into the hearts of thousands across the globe after he recently raised over R1 million in funds for a young boy named Rylyn Clark, who is battling with Lyme Disease.
Rylyn Clark first touched hearts of netizens across the globe when he went viral at age four, singing Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” during the pandemic. His performance spread light in dark times.
In 2020, The Kiffness sampled Rylyn’s song in a remix, and this is how the two first connected.
Years later, Rylyn has sadly faced an unimaginably challenging diagnosis with Lyme Disease, leading Scott to share the song again with a plea for support.
In efforts to help the young boy, Scott launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with covering Rylyn’s medical expenses.
“Rylyn is now 8 years old and has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease, and has been fighting this terrible illness for the better part of 2 years. My hope is that despite the difficulty he is going through now, this song will remind him that everything will work out, and that every person he touched with his song back in 2020 is backing him today,” wrote Scott.
“[Rylyn] will be in hospital for the foreseeable future, but through the distribution of royalties for his song and the funds made through this GoFundMe campaign, my hope is that we will be able to provide him some support in this difficult time,” he added.
The campaign quickly gained momentum, raising over R300,000 in 24 hours and surpassing R1 million at the time of writing. Currently, $56,533 USD (R1,037,092.23) has been raised out of the total target of $60,000 (R1,100,694.00).
“On behalf of Rylyn and his mom, Maureen, I would like to thank each and every person who has contributed towards Rylyn’s fight against Lyme Disease,” Scott shared.
Maureen, overwhelmed by the generosity of over 2000 donators online, expressed her gratitude for the support, which offers hope amidst Rylyn’s severe health challenges.
“We continue to be overwhelmed by the love and support and generosity of so many people, from so many different countries. It honestly makes the world feel smaller, no matter what struggles any of us are having, we all need each other,” said Maureen, adding:
“I can make a promise to every single person who has commented or ‘liked’ or donated, you have my word that we will pay it forward. Rylyn will get better and the both of us will pay it forward.”
Scott hopes the song, available on streaming platforms, will continue to generate income for Rylyn.
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Feature Image: YouTube / The Kiffness
