It all started when Shayden Walker showed up on a neighbor couple’s doorstep to ask if they knew any children his age. After having been bullied by his so-called “friends,” the young boy said that he needed some new ones. Brennan Ray, who answered the door, said that he and his wife, Angell, only had a 2-year-old. However, he told the young boy that, if he ever saw him around, he’d be sure to say hi.
Brennan’s doorbell had recorded the encounter, so he placed the video on TikTok in the hopes that it would help Shayden meet some new friends. He added in the caption that he found the boy was “well-mannered, kind, and brave.” Within 2 days, the video had 55 million views.
Later, the young couple added another video. This one had been captured before Shayden rang the doorbell. Apparently, he’s lost his nerve the first time he approached their front steps, opting to try again later. At this point, Brennan and Angell decided that they wanted to do something for the boy. According to WFAA, they started a GoFundMe with a goal of $7,000 so that he could take a trip to an amusement park, get some new clothes, and buy a gaming system.
“Lets make this kid feel special,” said Brennan in the caption.
The couple told a little bit of Shayden’s story on his GoFundMe page, explaining that he was one of their neighbors and that he was feeling lonely.
“He mentioned he has been bullied and is having trouble finding friends,” they wrote.
Shayden’s fundraiser received more attention than anyone was expecting, eventually reaching over $37,000. Later, the couple updated the GoFundMe to say that they were disabling donations for the time being.
“We expected to see support from this community but we’re shocked and amazed by how everyone’s shown up for Shayden,” they said. “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.”
Watch Brennan and Angell’s heartfelt thank you message to their followers in the video below.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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