11-year-old boy from Texas is looking for friends: his video touched the Internet users

A viral video with millions of views shows Shayden Walker ringing the doorbell of his neighbors Brennan and Angell Ray looking for friends. The boy was a victim of bullying and decided to find those who would help him deal with it. Writes about it Pix11.

Photo: IStock

According to Angell Ray, she and her husband decided to post the video on TikTok because people needed to understand that what Scheiden feels is unacceptable. It seemed to her that others would treat him differently.

“Honestly, they posted a video to draw attention to the boy. We had no idea that it would become so popular around the world or across the country. This is some kind of madness!” — confessed Angell Ray.

Shortly after the video was posted, GoFundMe launched a page for Scheiden. At the time of its closure, it managed to raise almost $40.

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“I made a post on GoFundMe, and within the first hour, $2000 came in, and after five hours, $10. When I got ready to go home from work, we passed the $000 mark! Frankly, it was stunningly fast. We sincerely hoped to get to Scheiden and his parents before they saw it, but everything became so viral that we did not have the opportunity to do this, ”stated Angell Ray.

Scheiden's mother, Krishna Patterson, said she was unaware of the TikTok and GoFundMe post until late at night.

“I texted Angell and asked, ‘What is this?’ because I didn’t know these people, and then I couldn’t watch the video because I didn’t have TikTok. And when I succeeded, I saw the pain in Shaiden’s eyes and realized that these people were simply kind-hearted, literally angels, wanting to do something good for the boy they saw suffering. When I talked to Angell about it and when I saw how much was donated on GoFundMe, I asked her to close the fundraiser, and in less than 24 hours it grew to $37. Shayden and I discussed it and decided to donate some of the money,” Patterson said.

She clarified that these funds will go to help the victims of the tornado in Perryton and Matador (Texas), as well as the victims of the war in Ukraine.

When the video and GoFundMe went viral, Brennan Ray said Scheiden was his top thought.

“I thought tirelessly about how this would drastically change the course of the boy’s summer vacation. I just want to make sure he's happy and can make friends," he admitted.

Ray stressed that he learned some pretty important values.

“Never judge anyone by how they look, how they talk, how they behave, because you don’t know what a person has gone through, you don’t know what kind of struggle is going on inside him or at home, so just be kind to everyone,” Brennan Ray summed up.

And Angell Ray added: it only takes one person to make a difference.

“We are just two ordinary people from Amarillo, Texas. Just one person having the courage to go out and ask for help leads to another person having the courage to go out and spread the word about bullying, so that was just great. It's a chain reaction of amazing things," she said.

Scheiden shared some tips for bullies and teenagers who want to assert themselves by making fun of others.

“If you are a bully, just know: I'm not angry with you, I'm just disappointed in you. And if you're not a bully, please don't be a bully. I speak from personal experience. Once upon a time I was a bully, but I learned a lesson from my mistake. I hope people who have never been bullies just don't become one. This is a world full of grief, ”Scheiden admitted.

Patterson said that this situation makes it clear to many how bullying and bullying can affect a person.

“Many bullies were once victims themselves and they just don’t know how to deal with that pain. I hope this helps not only those who are struggling with their pain, speaking up and asking for help, but also those who are being bullied. They are not alone,” said Patterson.

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Brennan Ray noticed that many people around the world and in their community have reached out to Scheiden to express their support.

“The official Whataburger account wants to host Scheiden and all his new friends for a treat. Howie Mandel contacted us. He wants to talk to Scheiden. I believe Jake Paul's manager sent a message to my wife via the GoFundMe page for Scheiden to travel to Dallas for his upcoming fight and meet him. I probably have 20 people who are offering to send the boy's family to Disneyland. And many people want to help the boy not only with financial matters, but also help him make friends, for example, they arrange him for camps or for jiu-jitsu lessons, for the football team, ”said Brennan Ray.

This weekend, the community will host a Shine Like Scheiden event for the boy and his family.

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