13-year-old Sidney Hertzberg entered an essay contest and wrote about the kitten she adopted. Sidney has an illness called POTS, which causes dizziness, fatigue and muscle aches. She said, "My cat Mr. Mittens, I got him when he was 4 ounces and he had to be bottle-fed. And I really thought I was going to help save his life but I did not even know he would actually help save mine."
Sidney won the contest and was awarded $50,000! She donated it all to her local cat shelter. She also started a program called Sidney's Seniors where senior cats are placed with seniors citizens and all the food and vet bills are paid for.
Teen wins contest with essay about her cat and donates winnings to Ferndale cat shelter
(Image: Getty)