Elkhart teen raises almost $5,000 for sister's first birthday

ELKHART, Ind. - Birthdays are often something someone looks forward to, especially kids because it usually means cake and presents. One Elkhart teenager wanted to make sure his baby sister would get plenty of the latter on her first birthday Saturday. Ashton Wagoner offered to sell his bike and gaming console for $130 so that he could get something nice for his sister's birthday. Thanks to the generosity of strangers across the country and across the world, Ashton wound up getting almost $5,000 and still has his bike and console.

"Thank you, everybody for what you've done for me and my baby sister and my family," Ashton said. "It really helps a lot."

Ashton posted on a garage sale site online that his gaming console and bike were for sale, and early on, someone noticed.

"He said 'why are you selling your stuff?'" Ashton said. "I was like 'to get my baby sister a birthday present, and he said 'I'll just give you money.' I said 'what? For the bike?' he said 'No for your baby sister.' I'm like 'ok, thanks.'"

Others followed suit, and eventually, Ashton was getting donations and messages from people around the world. He said people in France, Britain, Australia, Italy and Canada as well as all over the United States reached out to him. His dad, Robert Wagoner, said Ashton Achieved massive internet popularity in no time.

"I fought and argued with him about being a YouTuber and this and that and him always wanting to be online and him wanting to be like all these people out here," Wagoner said. "I'd tell him 'no.' Then, he makes an ad on a garage sale site and becomes more popular than half of them. It takes them weeks. He's done it in 48 hours."

Another perk out of all this for Ashton? He's made a new friend. Angela Joyner was one of the first people to reach out to Ashton, telling him if he kept his gaming console and bike, she would pay for whatever he wanted to get his sister.

"(Ashton) is my new best friend," Joyner said. "Is this not the best kid you've ever met in your life?"

Joyner took Ashton shopping on Saturday for his sister. He got her a toy car she could ride, new shoes, a new teddy bear that is almost as big as she is and some new clothes. Ashton said he also wanted to get her a toy car she could drive, but needed Dad Robert to take him to do that. Ashton also said he plans to put whatever money is leftover to good use as well.

"I was going to get my baby sister that (drivable electric car), and get me my bike and give my dad the rest to pay off the house because we need $4,000 to pay off the house, and since we went over that, I'm going to give him the rest to pay off the house."

Ashton's dad Robert said he would rather put the extra money in a fund for Ashton's sister Desiree that they can then show her when she is of age so that she can appreciate what Ashton has done for her here.

Ashton has a dream of being a famous YouTuber and hopes with this type of internet popularity, he can be a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.