A concerned Australian mother was desperately trying to spread disability awareness after her little boy approached her weeping and thinking about killing himself.
Yarraka Bayles put a video up on social media of her son, Quaden, weeping in distress. Quaden was born with Achondroplasia, a type of Dwarfism.
In the video, the Aboriginal boy, who was a student at the Brisbane's Carina State School, repeatedly told his mother he wanted to die.
Since the video was posted online, the hashtag #WeStandWithQuaden has gone viral—together with a wave of support for the bullied boy and his Murri Indigenous family that reside in Queensland.
Teuila Blakely (@teuilablakely) on
Messages of support quickly flooded in from across the globe after the mother of the nine-year-old Australian boy named Quaden Bayles publicized the video of the child in deep distress over school bullies.
Celebrities sending messages of support include Australian actor Hugh Jackman of Logan fame, NBA basketball player Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics, and the Indigenous All Stars National Rugby League team.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up by U.S. comedian Brad Williams, who has the same dwarfism condition of Achondroplasia, to raise money to send Quaden and Yarraka to California's Disneyland. So far, the online fundraiser has skyrocketed past the initial $10,000 goal and has climbed past $325,000 in a single day.
Quaden - you’ve got a friend in me. #BeKind @LokelaniHiga https://t.co/8dr3j2z8Sy pic.twitter.com/jyqtZYC953
— Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) February 20, 2020
9 year old wanting to commit suicide due to being bullied. 💔💔💔🥺 pic.twitter.com/DysTrmlaiD
— YouDontNeedToKnowMyName (@S11E11B11A) February 20, 2020
My 10 year old son Rocco has a message for #Quaden in Australia who has endured a horrible case of bullying. You are strong little man. So many people love you!!!! pic.twitter.com/wO49KABK51
— Jillian Barberie (@askjillian) February 21, 2020
The Indigenous #NRLAllStars are behind you Quaden! 👊🏽❤️ pic.twitter.com/52RLy8SrSd
— NRL (@NRL) February 20, 2020
The Indigenous All Stars rugby team has also requested that Quaden lead the team onto the field for a Saturday match against the Maori All-Stars reports NRL.
Yarraka made clear that she posted the heartbreaking video to show how bullying can affect a kid, and because she didn't know what to do about it.
She said that her child is going through such experiences regularly and that she had to watch over him all the time.
The little boy had first tried to kill himself 3 years earlier when his gradnfather died, and unfortunately there had be many attempts thereafter.
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