Young brothers start vending machine business to help their mom pay medical bills

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A local 9-year-old has started his own vending machine business to help his mom pay for medical bills to treat his rare seizure disorder. 

For an entire year, Liem Coleman and his 7-year-old brother Elijah Coleman saved their money so they could buy a vending machine.

Thanks to the powers of social media, that vending machine now sits in the Colorado Springs Airport. The family says it was all made possible thanks to one airport employee who heard their story.

Mindee Dombrowski says her son has a rare seizure disorder, and had his first seizure when he was only 9 months old.

"Liem has two forms of epilepsy. he has generalized absolute epilepsy and frontal temporal lobe epilepsy," Dombrowski said.

Dombrowski said Liem saw what she was going through and wanted to find a way to help her pay for the bills. 

"His medicines run us over $1,300 a month. And he takes, on average, one ambulance a month, which is an $1,800 copay," said Dombrowski.

That's when Liem came up with the idea of having his own vending machine. For a year, the family of three did odd jobs to make Liem's wish of starting his own business come true.

"We pressure washed trash cans in our area. We did dog poop clean up, just saving up personally, and we were able to get a good deal on the first two machines that we got," said Dombrowski.

Dombrowski posted on social media, asking where they could put a vending machine. That's when an employee at the Colorado Springs Airport responded.

"It moved me about her story, about her trying to teach her boys about business, and about earning and raising money for a cause and for helping Liem with his medical condition," said Christina Flowers, General Manager for United Ground Express.

The family now operates two vending machines, with the other at a local mechanic shop. The vending machines both have a flier on them explaining the family's story.

The family's goal is to have six vending machines throughout El Paso County. Business that are interested in having a vending machine in their property can email mindeejcoleman@gmail.com.

The family has also created a GoFundMe page, with the money raised going towards buying more vending machines and helping to restock them.

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