An 11-year-old Texas boy went on a search for companionship and ended up with tons of new friends all over the world.
Shayden Walker, from Amarillo, Texas, went to his neighbor’s house on July 3 looking for children his age. He stopped by and talked to his neighbor through the family’s front door security camera.
“Um, I just wanted to see if you knew any kids around like 11 or 12, maybe,” the boy can be heard saying in the video. “I need some friends, like really bad.”
His neighbor, Brennan Ray, responded via the security camera and told him there were some kids nearby. But that wouldn’t do for Shayden. “They’re not my friends anymore because they’re bullies,” the boy said.
The two carried on a short conversation about whether Ray had kids of his own Shayden could play with. Ray’s daughter is just a toddler though, he told the boy.
The interaction prompted Ray to post the video on TikTok, hoping to connect with the boy’s family.
“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?” Ray captioned the video.
“I figured I could post it and some local people would see it and help me connect to them,” he said.
The post garnered nearly 69 million views.
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The preteen has a hard time connecting with people, his mother says
Shayden has undergone a series of diagnoses, including autism, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and others, said his mother, Krishna Patterson.
“That’s a lot of different diagnoses for one child,” she told USA TODAY. “People need to be aware that these mental health issues can make children, even adults, feel completely isolated and feel alone.”
Her son has had a hard time maintaining friendships and sometimes has “meltdowns” that include crying and accidentally hurting himself and other people who try to calm him down, she said.
The boy has also been bullied quite a bit, including when he was playing tag with another neighbor. Things didn’t go well and the neighbor called him names, Shayden told USA TODAY.
“Shayden has been manipulated and bullied,” Shayden’s mother said. “When he has these meltdowns, people are like ‘We don’t want our kids to hang out with your kid.’”
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What made the 11-year-old take such bold steps?
Shayden went to the Rays’ house because he really needed new friends, he told USA TODAY.
“I just really wanted to get to know these people,” he said.
He remembered them because their dog wandered into his family’s yard months ago. Shayden’s family returned the dog to them and he thought they seemed like great people.
After his recent visit to the Rays’ house and hearing from so many kind people, he said he feels “pretty good.”
He has made friends all over the world, including from Hawaii, China, Australia and England.
His mom was originally worried the video would lead to more ridicule for Shayden.
“When that didn’t happen, the relief that washed over me and the pure joy that people actually were showing compassion, that was huge,” she said.
Neighbors raise over $37,000 for Shayden
Ray said when he initially posted the TikTok video, people suggested doing something for him. So he and his wife, Angell Ray, started a GoFundMe.
The page raised over $37,000 for Shayden to go towards whatever he wants, including a gaming setup, school clothes and amusement park tickets.
Shayden’s mom said he wants to donate some of the money to tornado relief groups, the war on Ukraine and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The family also wants to go on a vacation because the 11-year-old hasn’t been on one since he was a toddler.
“We actually had to close (the GoFundMe) down not even 30 hours after it was created,” said his neighbor who started the fundraiser. “(His mom) didn’t really want people spending their hard-earned money.”
Shayden’s mom also said her son wants people who have been bullied and even those who have perpetuated bullying to reach out to him.
“A lot of times, they have a lot of pain that they can’t express,” she said. “They’ve been bullied themselves and the only outlet they have is to hurt other people. Shayden himself has been on both sides of this. He understands both sides of being so ridiculed that you feel like you have to lash out.”
As for Ray, his video has taught the world a lesson in kindness and acceptance.
He says it’s important to give everyone a chance because you never know what people are battling internally — and with Shayden being on the spectrum, it’s probably harder for him to relate to kids his age.
“He is a beautiful soul,” Ray said. “His happiness is infectious and his smile is infectious. He’s a good kid.”
