Gary Coleman Sold His Pants on eBay to Pay for Dialysis

I can't decide whether this is the saddest or the happiest story I've ever seen. Bidding on the eBay auction for child star Gary Coleman's size 12XL Gap Kids track pants topped out at $400,000.00.

After talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel expressed interest in the pants, which were technically listed as memorabilia (I don't think Kimmel wanted them to wear -- they don't go with his eyes), he placed a bid of $80, thus setting off a small avalanche of counterbids as more than 100 people became apparently serious about snagging the sweats.

Coleman requires daily dialysis because of congenital kidney disease, which halted his growth at 4'8". He had kidney transplants in 1973 and 1984, but his battle with nephritis (an inflammation of the kidney) will apparently never end.

And dialysis ain't cheap, Willis.

Columnist Tim Goodman sums it up just about right:

"Who wants to live in a world where former child stars have to sell their clothes for medical treatment? And yet - despite the preposterous, probably fake bid - who wouldn't want to live in a world where someone actually bought Coleman's pants for $400,000?"

Comments

[MINNESOTA READER]

YOUR ARTICLE IS PURE HOGWASH. IT WOULD HV BEEN NICE IF YOU HD ACTUALLY READ THE AUCTION DESCRIPTION. IT WAS PLACED BY A PRIVATE PARTY AS "MEMORABILIA". IT HS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH DIALYSIS FOR GARY COLEMAN.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gary-Coleman-MEMORABILIA-SIGNED-Gap-Athletic-Pants_W0QQitemZ180204500969QQihZ008QQcategoryZ60329QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

SHAME ON YOU.
BTW, THAT $400,000 BID WAS NEVER PAID.
I DOUBT IF THE LINK WILL WORK. IT MAY BE TOO LONG FOR THIS SITE TO SHOW IT PROPERLY.