GoFundMe to send bullied 9-year-old boy to Disneyland, raises $236,000 in a day: 'There's good in the world'
Thousands of donors have come together to raise more than $236,000 in support of a bullied Australian boy who was filmed begging for a rope to kill himself because he could no longer cope with the bullying.
Social media had expressed its outrage after a heartwrenching video uploaded by Brisbane resident Yarraka Bayles showed her son Quaden, who has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, crying because of the relentless bullying he faced at school because of his height.
"Give me a rope, I want to kill myself," the 9-year-old can be heard telling his mother. "I wish I could stab myself in the heart... I want some-one to kill me."
There has been an outpouring of support from across the world after the video went viral, with Brad Williams, a friend of the family, setting up a GoFundMe page which he said hoped would show Quaden "there is good in the world."
"I’m setting up this GoFundMe to let Quaden know that bullying will not be tolerated, and that he is a wonderful human being who deserves joy," Williams wrote. "I want to fly Quaden and his mother to America, get them a nice hotel, and bring them to Disneyland."
Bayles had first shared the video on her Facebook account hoping to get advice from other parents and raise awareness about bullying. She said she usually kept distressing moments private but was left with no choice but to go public this time as she'd had enough.
"She said she usually kept distressing moments private but was left with no choice but to go public this time as she'd had enough," she said in the video. "I just picked my son up from school, witnessed a bullying episode, rang the principal and I want people to know this is the effect bullying has. This is what bullying does."
"So can you please educate your children, your families, your friends because all it takes is one more instance... and you wonder why kids are killing themselves," she continued. "This is the impact bullying has a nine-year-old kid who just wants to go to school, get an education and have fun but every single fricking day something happens."
The video has since been viewed more than 20 million times and caught the attention of the Indigenous All Stars NRL team, Hugh Jackman, and several other celebrities.
The All Stars NRL team invited Quaden to walk them onto the pitch on Saturday as they take on New Zealand Maori Kiwis at CBUS Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, while Jackman urged his fans to "be kind to each other."
"Quaden, you are stronger than you know, mate," the 'Les Miserables' star said in a video posted on his Twitter. "And no matter what, you've got a friend in me."
"Bullying is not okay. Period. Life is hard enough. Let's just remember every person in front of us is facing the same kind of battle. So let's just be kind," he added.
After receiving financial support from a wide range of celebrities, Quaden was accused of lying about his age.
His mother shared a post on her social media criticizing conspiracy theories about her son. “Yes he's nine. Dwarfism is not a joke. Is he a model or actor?... so are a lot of kids... that doesn't mean s**t.”
Numerous social media users have also jumped to the boy's defence, shaming the people spreading this vicious rumour and saying there is plenty of "proof" against it.