How Sweet — Comedian Raises Nearly $500k  For A Child With A Disability Who Was Bullied

Photo Credit: Network 10/Youtube, Yarraka Bayles/Facebook/Instagram

 

Kids can be cruel, and for children with a disability or special needs the bullying can almost be unbearable.

Sadly, a 9-year old boy named Quaden who was born with dwarfism was bullied so badly in school – he was heard by his own mom asking for a knife to end his life.

Heartbroken, his mom took to social media begging schools to train children on disability awareness.

Little did she know that her video would be seen by comedian Brad Williams, who also has dwarfism.

As it turns out, Williams was so outraged by what he saw, he decided to take action.

Not wasting a moment – he created a GoFundMe page, calling out the bullies and wanting to raise money to fly little Quaden and his mom to Disneyland.

The GoFundMe page read:

“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. I want to fly Quaden and his mother to America, get them a nice hotel, and bring them to Disneyland…

This isn’t just for Quaden, this is for anyone who has been bullied in their lives and told they weren’t good enough. Let’s show Quaden and others, that there is good in the world and they are worthy of it.”

Originally the goal was for $10,000, but the page quickly brought in $100,000 in less than a day, and has now raised nearly $500,000!

All the excess money will be donated to an anti-bullying organization.

Brad Williams is an example of someone with power using it for good to help a little boy and his mother know they are loved and supported.

And as the mom’s cries for training went viral – the truth is sadly it’s not only students who need to be trained in disability and special needs awareness, it’s teachers too.

One father was crushed when his child with autism received an award from his teacher titled “Most Annoying Male Student”.

Or the swim coach who punished an ADHD child by humiliating him in front of other students leading him to tears.

Let’s teach our communities to rally around children and families with disabilities and special needs.

There is a degree of sensitivity and patience needed as some of the kids may not be able to perform tasks the exact same way as other kids.

But it’s critical to remember not to focus on what’s different or ostracize a child.

After all, kids want to be kids.

And every child wants to feel loved and accepted by their peers.

Parents and schools must enforce a no-tolerance policy when it comes to bullying.

If the culture can shift where it becomes the norm to provide compassion and understanding to others, and schools can lead by example, change can happen.

But for now – let’s rejoice that Quaden and his mom get to experience love from thousands of strangers – and enjoy Disneyland!

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