One couple in Texas are lending a helping hand to a boy who knocked on their door looking for friends.
Brennan Ray and Angell Hammersmith posted a heart-wrenching video last week of their young neighbor Shayden Walker, who got up the courage to go to ask if they knew anyone he could be friends with. In the clip from the couple’s doorbell camera, he could be seen wearing a Jaws tee and shuffling nervously on the front steps of their home in Amarillo, Texas. When Brennan answered the door, Shayden asked:
“Hi. I just wanted to see if you knew any kids around like, 11 or 12, maybe, because I need some friends. Like, really bad.”
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Brennan then directed him toward another house down the street where a few kids lived. However, Shayden immediately turned that idea down for a heartbreaking reason. He explained to Brennan that those kids down the street aren’t his friends anymore because they bullied him. The boy then asked his neighbor if he had any children. Brennan did – but he had a 2-year-old daughter. That didn’t deter Shayden, who replied:
“Oh, OK that’s great. I love 2-year-olds to be honest. They’re just the most cutest things I have ever known. I used to have a 2-year-old sister. She was a handful, but I really enjoyed having spending time with her.”
Although Brennan ultimately didn’t know of any other neighbor kids around, he promised to say hello whenever he saw Shayden around. You can ch-ch-check out the gut-wrenching video (below):
@brennanray Its takes 2 seconds to make someones day, you never know what people are going through until you get a chance to talk to them. This young man is well mannered, kind, and brave. So tiktok can we help shayden make some friends???#fyp #bekind #nobullying #love #kindness #letschangetheworld
Our hearts just break for Shayden! That was really brave of him for asking. A part-two video posted by the couple showed that Shayden had approached their house 30 minutes before this interaction. However, he seemingly became nervous and turned away. And now, Brennan and Angell decided to do something nice for him to make him “feel special.”
The pair’s initial video quickly went viral, with more than 66 million views and 10 million likes, so they decided to launch a GoFundMe for the kid to help him make friends. They set the goal to $7,000, explaining that the money would get him a gaming system, school clothes, and possibly some amusement park tickets.
@brennanray Lets make this kid feel special! Will post go fund me page in description. Pt 3 will be him receiving everything. ????#fyp #bekind #nobullying #letschangetheworld #happiness #heartwarming
But Shayden’s story tugged at the heartstrings of many people. With an outpouring of support, Angell and Brennan blew their donation goal out of the park and raised more than $37,000 for the child! That’s amazing! The duo posted in the GoFundMe:
“Thank you all for your generosity and kindness! We expected to see support from this community but we’re shocked and amazed by how everyone’s shown up for Shayden. We decided to turn off donations while we coordinate with his family, but all funds will stay in the GoFundMe account until then. We’ll keep you updated along the way. Thank you! #kindnessmatters”
In another Tiktok video, Brennan and Angell express how they were “thankful” for everyone’s generosity and shared that they were going to meet Shayden soon.
@brennanray Thank you all for your generosity and kindness! We expected to see support from our community but we’re shocked and amazed by how everyone’s shown up for Shayden. Shaydens mom decided to turn off donations, but all funds will stay within the GoFundMe account until they say otherwise. We’ll keep you updated along the way. Thank you! #kindnessmatters #bullyingawareness #love #kindness #fyp
This is just another reminder that kindness can go a long way. We’re sending so much support to Shayden, and hope this act of kindness brings a smile to his face. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments. You can also see the GoFundMe set up for Shayden HERE.
[Image via Brennan Ray/Tiktok]
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