We all go through some things no one knows about, so it’s best to treat others with kindness at all times.
Meet Shayden
11-year-old Shayden Walker from Amarillo, Texas was a lonely boy who was looking for kids to make friends with.
Anybody Home?
He decided to go to his neighbor’s house one day to find playmates his age, but Brennan Ray, his neighbor, wasn’t home so the little boy just spoke to him through the security camera at the front door.
Any Kids Around?
Shayden reluctantly told Brennan what he was looking for that day. He said, “Um, I just wanted to see if you knew any kids around like 11 or 12, maybe. I need some friends, like really bad,” so Brennan pointed him to the kids next door, but Shayden said, “They’re not my friends anymore because they’re bullies.”
He Wanted To Help
Brennan was moved by the little boy’s loneliness so he decided to share the video on TikTok to help him find friends. He captioned it with “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?”
Tough Childhood
Shayden’s mother, Krishna Patterson, said that her son has been diagnosed with autism, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and these make it difficult for Shayden to make friends, which often leads to emotional meltdowns.
People Reached Out
Brennan’s TikTok video caught a lot of attention, and people from all over the world, including Hawaii, China, Australia, and England, had been commenting about their desire to make friends with Shayden.
Helping Shayden
Brenna and his wife, Angell, also initiated a GoFundMe campaign for the little boy that he can use for anything he wants. A lot of people donated and the funds have reached over $37,000.
He Has A Big Heart
Shayden decided to donate some of the money to tornado relief groups, the war in Ukraine, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and his family also plans to use some of the funds for a vacation, as he hasn’t been on one for quite a long time.
New Friends
At first, Krishna was worried that a lot more people would ridicule her son after his story got out to the world, but she was relieved and overjoyed when the opposite happened. Shayden has also made friends with Brennan’s family, and he gets along really well with their 2-year-old kid.
Watch how Shayden made LOTS of friends because of his neighbor’s initiative in the video below.
Watch Video Here:
