Quaden Bayle’s family has turned down the gift of a Disneyland trip funded by thousands of donations on GoFundMe.
Comedian Brad Williams, who, like Quaden, was born with a type of dwarfism called achondroplasia, set up the GoFundMe with the intention of raising $10,000 to help send the nine-year-old and his mother to Disneyland California.
This is the moment Quaden said he wanted to "kill himself" after being bullied (warning: some viewers may find it upsetting):
"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," Williams wrote as part of the GoFundMe campaign.
He then adds: "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."
After Quaden's heartbreaking story went viral, it came as no surprise that people all around the world wanted to get on board with helping the young boy.
However, no one could have guessed just how much would be raised in the GoFundMe campaign. In fact, as of this writing, the figure is at $473,967 - nearly 50-times the original target.
But despite the thousands of donations made towards the cause, the Bayles family won't be accepting a penny of the money raised - and as such, the Disneyland trip will not be going ahead.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA]]
In an interview with Australia's NITV News, Quaden's Aunty Mundanara Bayles explained that the family would prefer that the money went to charity.
She said: "What kid wouldn’t want to go to Disneyland, especially if you have lived Quaden’s life. But my sister said: 'You know what, let’s get back to the real issue'. We want the money to go to community organizations that really need it.
"They know what the money should be spent on, So as much as we want to go to Disneyland, I think our community would far off benefit from that."
Last week, Quaden Bayles rose to international attention when his mother posted the above video showing the distraught nine-year-old saying he wants to "kill himself" after being bullied.
In the wake of Williams' fundraising efforts, many Twitter users have been taking to the social network to praise the comedian.
"If God created one person to help this kid, it's certainly you Brad," one user wrote. "You have a big heart and I am confident you can help raise this [kid's] self-esteem."
Another added: "You are amazing for doing this for him and others that are bullied. I hope things improve for him. There is far too much hate and ignorance in this world."
In the video, Jackman tells Quaden: "Quaden, you are stronger than you know mate, and no matter what, you've got a friend in me. So, everyone lets please be kind to each other - bullying is not OK."
The 51-year-old Australian actor added: "Life is hard enough, so let's remember, every person in front of us is facing some kind of battle, so let's just be kind."
PLEASE, if you or anybody you know is having suicidal thoughts, reach out to somebody or contact one of the mental health charities below:
Last week (February 18), a video of nine-year-old Quaden Bayles went viral after his mom posted his heartbreaking reaction to school bullies, who had teased him because of his dwarfism.
Quaden's mom, Yarraka Bayles, live-streamed the video on Facebook, accompanying the distressing footage with the caption: "This is the [impact] of bullying! I seriously don’t know what else to do".
In the video, the inconsolable schoolboy says he wanted to end his life, telling his mom: "Give me a knife, I'm going to kill myself."
You can watch the full video below (Warning: some viewers may find it upsetting):
Quaden was born with achondroplasia - the most common form of short-limbed Dwarfism - a condition that his mom says has led "constant bullying" from his peers. Speaking to NITV News, Ms Bayles revealed how Quaden's comments made her feel "helpless".
In response to the video, Quaden has been met with an outpouring of support from people all over the world. Celebrities such as Hugh Jackman and Cardi B have posted videos of support for Quaden, and comedian Brad Williams, who also has dwarfism, even set up a GoFundMe account to send the youngster to Disneyland. Writing on the GoFundMe page, Williams said:
"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."
As of this writing, the online fundraiser has received more than $467,670 (USD) in donations from 20,500+ kind strangers - more than $450,000 over the original $10,000 target.
But with such a huge sum of money raised, many people are now questioning how the money will be spent.
Per GoFundMe, "all donated funds will be used solely for the purpose you have stated on and in connection with your campaign, and under no circumstances may you use the funds for any other purpose".
Speaking to news.com.au, a GoFundMe Spokesperson said: "GoFundMe has a dedicated team of trust and safety experts who are responsible for interacting with campaign organizers and beneficiaries to ensure that funds reach the intended place."
Williams added in the description of the online fundraiser that, "after all the flights, hotel, tickets, and food is paid for, any excess money will be donated to anti-bullying/anti-abuse charities".
With this in mind, news.com.au has reported that the money raised will support both Australian and US-based charities.
Williams has tweeted that he has a team making sure "everything is completely legitimate" and promised "money donated will not be wasted".
The comedian also stated in a follow-up tweet: "The love you have shown is unbelievable. Thank you! Money donated will not be wasted! We have a team of people making sure everything is completely legitimate. We thank you for your generosity and patience while we make sure all this is done the right way."
It has certainly been a turbulent week for the Bayles family.
In another moment of support, Quaden was invited to walk the NRL Indigenous All Stars onto the ground on Saturday nigh to deliver the match ball prior to their match against the Maori All Stars at the Gold Coast.
In a video shared by the official NRL Twitter account, Quaden was met with a huge roar of support from those in attendance, as he walked hand-in-hand with Indigenous All Stars captain Joel Thompson, as they led the team out onto the pitch together.
Sporting the NRL Indigenous All Stars jersey, the nine-year-old proudly shook the hand of every member of the Maori squad before he carrying the ball onto the pitch and handing it over to the referee.
Per ABC News, the Indigenous All Stars reached out and offer Quaden the chance to lead them out for their match with the Maori All Stars at the Robina Stadium.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]
Despite a difficult week, superstar winger Josh Addo-Carr can be seen making the nine-year-old smile from as they reached the middle of the field.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]
Quaden's moment in the spotlight comes after the New York Post reported yesterday that several conspiracy theories are now circulating across social media regarding the validity of Quaden's story.
As you can see from the screenshots below, many people are claiming that nine-year-old schoolboy Quaden is actually an 18-year-old actor - and the entire "bullying" story is fake and a "scam".
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
In response to these claims, Quaden's mother has been sharing posts to both her personal account and Quaden's support page Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism that detail the 'truth' about her son.
One of these posts is a video by American rapper Cardi B (real name Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar), who live-streamed herself discussing Quaden's story to her 54 million Instagram followers.
Watch Cardi B speak out in defense of Quaden below:
The video was shared to Quaden's Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism page, along with the caption: "Thanks @iamcardib. I love you! #CardiBKnowsWassup FACTS"
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
One image of Quaden that has been circulating social media shows the youngster standing in front of a giant "18" decoration - with many claiming this is "proof" Quaden has celebrated his 18th birthday.
However, this has been disproven by Mara Bayles, who confirmed that the party was for another person and Quaden was just attending.
As well as sharing the post above, Yarraka Bayles shared another Facebook post to the Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism page. This post was written by Mariana Lopez Ortiz, who claims to have known Quaden before Tuesday's video went viral. The post reads:
"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.
"His mother made the post because she was overwhelmed and enraged with the bullying. I understand her to the fullest. Never did she ask for money... Never did they say they were broke. Never did they ask for this."
The fact-checking website Snopes has also commented on these theories, saying:
"It might come as a surprise to some, but standing next to a number does not automatically change your age to that number. In that same vein, wearing a shirt reading 'Gucci' or standing next to an adult woman are not activities exclusively reserved for 18-year-olds."
Quaden has also appeared on television before. The video below shows a report from the Australian news station Studio 10 featuring then four-year-old Quaden helping to raise awareness of dwarfism.
"While one may be able to argue that 9-year-old Quaden looks like he’s 18, it’s a bit more difficult to buy the argument that the 4-year-old in the above-displayed video is actually 13."
The fact-checking website added:
"Yarraka Bayles, Quaden’s mother, has posted dozens of pictures of him over the years to her social media accounts. In 2012, she shared a series of photographs that showed her infant son on the beach. Bayles commented on those photographs that her son was going on 15 months old."
And the Facebook post, shared by his mother Yarraka Bayles, has since been inundated with thousands of loving and supportive comments.
In fact, one of the people who watched Quaden's distressing video, which has since accumulated 18 million views, is comedian Brad Williams, who also has Dwarfism.
You can watch the full video below (warning: some viewers may find it upsetting):
"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," he wrote in a GoFundMe campaign.
He then adds: "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."
In any case, it has been no more than a day since the campaign was set up and at the time of writing has raised a staggering $192,863 - about 20 times the original target.
Williams also explains he is in contact with Quaden's mother and that the money left over from the trip will be donated to anti-bullying charities.
"Aside from a few bullies who are bullying me for taking a stand against bullies, this fundraiser is unreal," Williams wrote on Twitter. "So amazing to see all sorts of people come together. Quaden is going to have the time of his life! And it’s all thanks to you!"
Many Twitter users have since taken to the social network to praise the comedian for his efforts.
"If God created one person to help this kid, it's certainly you Brad," one user wrote. "You have a big heart and I am confident you can help raise this kids self esteem."
Another added: "You are amazing for doing this for him and others that are bullied. I hope things improve for him. There is far too much hate and ignorance in this world."
On Tuesday, Brisbane mom Yarraka Bayles live-streamed a video of her nine-year-son Quaden sobbing uncontrollably and saying he wanted to end his own life after he was apparently teased by another child at his school earlier in the day.
Quaden Bayles was born with achondroplasia - the most common form of short-limbed Dwarfism - a condition that has led to "constant bullying" from his peers, SBS reports.
The video was accompanied with the caption: "This is the [impact] of bullying! I seriously don’t know what else to do!"
You can watch the full video below (Warning: some viewers may find it upsetting):
After the distressing video went viral on social media, Ms Bayles spoke to NITV News and revealed she was left heartbroken by her son's words, adding that she felt "helpless".
However, the video led to an outpouring of support for Quaden and his mother, with comments sections being flooded with kind messages from strangers all over the world.
One of the many people who have reached out to Quaden is Australian actor Hugh Jackman. Taking to Twitter, Jackman shared a video to his 14.1 million followers, writing: "Quaden - you’ve got a friend in me."
In the video, Jackman tells the schoolboy: "Quaden, you are stronger than you know mate, and no matter what, you've got a friend in me. So, everyone lets please be kind to each other - bullying is not OK."
Another person to reach out to the family is comedian Brad Williams, who also has Dwarfism. Williams even set up a GoFundMe account to send Quaden to Disneyland.
"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," he wrote in the GoFundMe campaign.
As of this writing, the online fundraiser has received $440,984 in donations from kind strangers.
However, as many of you may have seen and as the New York Post has reported, comments sections regarding Quaden's story have been flooded with claims that the nine-year-old schoolboy is actually an 18-year-old man with a huge social media following and a career in acting. See screenshots below:
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
The overarching claim is that this entire story has been a scam by Quaden and his mother.
One of the images circulating social media shows Quaden standing in front of a giant "18" decoration, with many claiming this is "proof" Quaden is actually 18. However, this has been disproven by Mara Bayles, who confirmed that the party was for another person and Quaden was just attending.
As well as sharing the post above, Yarraka Bayles shared another Facebook post to Quaden's support page Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism. This post was written by Mariana Lopez Ortiz, who claims to have known Quaden before Tuesday's video went viral. The post reads:
"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.
"His mother made the post because she was overwhelmed and enraged with the bullying. I understand her to the fullest. Never did she ask for money... Never did they say they were broke. Never did they ask for this."
The fact-checking website Snopes has also commented on these theories, saying:
"It might come as a surprise to some, but standing next to a number does not automatically change your age to that number. In that same vein, wearing a shirt reading 'Gucci' or standing next to an adult woman are not activities exclusively reserved for 18-year-olds."
Quaden has also appeared on television before. The video below shows a report from the Australian news station Studio 10 featuring then four-year-old Quaden helping to raise awareness of dwarfism.
"While one may be able to argue that 9-year-old Quaden looks like he’s 18, it’s a bit more difficult to buy the argument that the 4-year-old in the above-displayed video is actually 13."
The fact-checking website added:
"Yarraka Bayles, Quaden’s mother, has posted dozens of pictures of him over the years to her social media accounts. In 2012, she shared a series of photographs that showed her infant son on the beach. Bayles commented on those photographs that her son was going on 15 months old."
Last week, nine-year-old Quaden Bayles caught the attention of the world after his mother shared a video of the schoolboy crying uncontrollably after an incident at school left him wanting to end his own life.
Quaden's mom, Yarraka Bayles, live-streamed the video on Tuesday (February 18), and accompanied it with the caption: "This is the [impact] of bullying! I seriously don’t know what else to do".
In the video, the inconsolable schoolboy tells his mom: "Give me a knife, I'm going to kill myself."
You can watch the full video below (Warning: some viewers may find it upsetting):
Quaden was born with achondroplasia - the most common form of short-limbed Dwarfism - a condition that his mom says has led "constant bullying" from his peers. Speaking to NITV News, Ms Bayles revealed how Quaden's comments made her feel "helpless".
In response to the video, Quaden has been met with an outpouring of support from people all over the world. Celebrities such as Hugh Jackman and Cardi B have posted videos of support for Quaden, and comedian Brad Williams, who also has dwarfism, even set up a GoFundMe account to send the youngster to Disneyland. Writing on the GoFundMe page, Williams said:
"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."
As of this writing, the online fundraiser has received more than $440,000 in donations from kind strangers.
In another moment of support, Quaden was invited to walk the NRL Indigenous All Stars onto the ground on Saturday night (local time) to deliver the match ball prior to their match against the Maori All Stars at the Gold Coast.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]
In a video shared by the official NRL Twitter account, Quaden was met with a huge roar of support from those in attendance, as he walked hand-in-hand with Indigenous All Stars captain Joel Thompson, as they led the team out onto the pitch together.
Sporting the NRL Indigenous All Stars jersey, the nine-year-old proudly shook the hand of every member of the Maori squad before he carrying the ball onto the pitch and handing it over to the referee.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]
Per ABC News, the Indigenous All Stars reached out and offer Quaden the chance to lead them out for their match with the Maori All Stars at the Robina Stadium.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]
Despite a difficult week, superstar winger Josh Addo-Carr can be seen making the nine-year-old smile from as they reached the middle of the field.
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA Images]]
Quaden's moment in the spotlight comes after the New York Post reported yesterday that several conspiracy theories are now circulating across social media regarding the validity of Quaden's story.
As you can see from the screenshots below, many people are claiming that nine-year-old schoolboy Quaden is actually an 18-year-old actor - and the entire "bullying" story is fake and a "scam".
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
In response to these claims, Quaden's mother has been sharing posts to both her personal account and Quaden's support page Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism that detail the 'truth' about her son.
One of these posts is a video by American rapper Cardi B (real name Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar), who live-streamed herself discussing Quaden's story to her 54 million Instagram followers.
Watch Cardi B speak out in defense of Quaden below:
The video was shared to Quaden's Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism page, along with the caption: "Thanks @iamcardib. I love you! #CardiBKnowsWassup FACTS"
[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook]]
One image of Quaden that has been circulating social media shows the youngster standing in front of a giant "18" decoration - with many claiming this is "proof" Quaden has celebrated his 18th birthday.
However, this has been disproven by Mara Bayles, who confirmed that the party was for another person and Quaden was just attending.
As well as sharing the post above, Yarraka Bayles shared another Facebook post to the Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism page. This post was written by Mariana Lopez Ortiz, who claims to have known Quaden before Tuesday's video went viral. The post reads:
"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.
"His mother made the post because she was overwhelmed and enraged with the bullying. I understand her to the fullest. Never did she ask for money... Never did they say they were broke. Never did they ask for this."
The fact-checking website Snopes has also commented on these theories, saying:
"It might come as a surprise to some, but standing next to a number does not automatically change your age to that number. In that same vein, wearing a shirt reading 'Gucci' or standing next to an adult woman are not activities exclusively reserved for 18-year-olds."
Quaden has also appeared on television before. The video below shows a report from the Australian news station Studio 10 featuring then four-year-old Quaden helping to raise awareness of dwarfism.
"While one may be able to argue that 9-year-old Quaden looks like he’s 18, it’s a bit more difficult to buy the argument that the 4-year-old in the above-displayed video is actually 13."
The fact-checking website added:
"Yarraka Bayles, Quaden’s mother, has posted dozens of pictures of him over the years to her social media accounts. In 2012, she shared a series of photographs that showed her infant son on the beach. Bayles commented on those photographs that her son was going on 15 months old."
The mother of Quaden Bayles, a nine-year-old boy born with a rare form of dwarfism, who was bullied at school, claims that her son is still being targeted and tormented by trolls.
Young Quaden, who hails from Brisbane in Australia went viral on social media back in February, after his mom, Yarraka Bayle, posted a video showing him weeping uncontrollably.
She captioned the upsetting footage: "This is the [impact] of bullying! I seriously don’t know what else to do [sic]."
Watch the original video of Quaden below (warning: some viewers may find this distressing):
"I've just picked my son up from school, witnessed a bullying episode, rang the principal, and I want people to know - parents, educators, teachers - this is the effect that bullying has. This is what bullying does", before Quaden says, "Give me a knife, I'm going to kill myself."
Not long after the clip was uploaded to Facebook, Quaden received an outpouring of support from viewers who sympathized with his plight.
For example, X-Men actor Hugh Jackman sent him a touching message of friendship, and while the comedian Brad Williams managed to raise more than $70,000 via GoFundMe to send Quaden on a trip to Disneyland.
However, per News.com.au, Yarraka claims that trolls are still targeting Quaden and her family.
In a statement made to the Disability Royal Commission on Monday, Yarraka stated that she receives hateful messages "still to this day, every day."
She stated that there are still people online out who "think it’s their business to make comments... lots of death threats... physical harm against my children, my granddaughter."
She added that she originally uploaded her video out of frustration with the way the name-calling and taunting of her had been poorly handled for a number of years, adding that she now wants to introduce an initiative called Quaden's Law to raise awareness of the harmful effects of bullying.
Yarraka told the commission:
"I honestly feel like it took for a viral video for us to be able to get the support we need. It just felt like there was not enough being done, so I just stopped complaining.
"I felt like I was being more of a burden or, you know, they’re looking at us like we’re a couple of sooks, and we should just get on with it, and not complain, or report any of these incidents."
According to News.com.au, the Royal Commission is currently holding its seventh public hearing on the issue of the treatment of school students with disabilities in Australia.
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