Earlier this week, people on social media provided an outpouring of support for a Brisbane mom and her son after it was revealed the young schoolboy was being "constantly bullied".
Mom Yarraka Bayles live-streamed a video of her nine-year-old Quaden on Facebook as he sobbed uncontrollably following an incident with another pupil at his school.
Quaden was born with achondroplasia - the most common form of short-limbed Dwarfism - which Yarraka says has resulted in constant teasing from his peers, SBS reports.
In the video, Quaden talks about how he wants to die, telling his mom: "Give me a knife, I'm going to kill myself."
You can watch the video below (warning: some people may find the footage upsetting):
Since being shared to Facebook on Tuesday, the video has since been viewed over 17 million times on the social media platform, and received more than 315K shares and nearly 150K comments (as of this writing).
Ms Bayles revealed to NITV News that the incident that occurred earlier that day involved another student at Quaden's school "patting him on the head like a little puppy" and "making references to his height".
Since live-streaming the video on Facebook, Ms Bayles says she has received an outpouring of support from the community, but also been criticized for the way she handled the situation. She says:
"I have copped a lot of backlash for it, I thought twice about deleting it [...] but I wanted people to see the effect bullying is having on my child. If I don't stand up and speak out for him, who will?"
However, the family has received a lot of positive responses from a range of people. First, comedian Brad Williams, who also has Dwarfism, started a GoFundMe in an attempt to raise $10,000 to help send Quaden and his mother from Australia to Disneyland in California.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised a staggering $192,000 - approximately 20x the original target.
Another star who has spoken out in support of Quaden is Wolverine star Hugh Jackman.
Taking to Twitter, Jackman shared a video to his 14.1 million followers simply captioned: "Quaden - you’ve got a friend in me."
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."
Nine-year-old Quaden is currently the face of Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism, a campaign group against bullying.
PLEASE, if you or anybody you know is having suicidal thoughts, please reach out to somebody or contact one of the mental health charities below:
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."
Quaden Bayles, a nine-year-old boy with a rare form of dwarfism, who was allegedly left feeling suicidal as a result of the bullying he endured at school, has delivered a powerful message to those who cruelly tormented him.
The child (who hails from Brisbane in Australia) went viral on social media back in February, after his mother Yarraka Bayle posted a video, which apparently showed him weeping uncontrollably. She captioned it: "This is the [impact] of bullying! I seriously don’t know what else to do [sic]."
Quaden, who was born with achondroplasia according to a report by SBS, was apparently so upset that he said he wanted to kill himself.
Watch the original video of Quaden below (Warning: some viewers may find this distressing):
In the video in question Yarraka states: "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."
Per the NZ Herald, Yarraka Bayles shared another video of her son to Facebook on Friday morning, from when he was only five years old, in which they discuss some of the names Quaden has been called in the past. Quaden says: "Why do you call me a baby, every single day?" before adding: "I don't want them to call me bubba, baby or cute."
The schoolboy added that he no longer wants people to refer to him as "little".
In a new interview with National Indigenous Television, Quaden was asked what he would say to his bullies if he had the chance. The young boy stated: "If you see someone different, don’t be rude, just smile and say hi."
He continued: "It’s not nice when you say these rude things to other people. It would be good if they knew about other people who have diseases and things, and just be kind."
[[imagecaption|| Credit: PA]]
Last week, Quaden and his family made the revelation that they were turning down Brad Williams' GoFundMe offer of an all-expenses-paid trip to Disneyland in California.
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."
And earlier this week, life coach Brook Gibbs revealed that he was talking to Quaden in an effort to help the youngster process the "mean words/actions" he deal with from bullies.
Last month, people around the world were moved by the story of nine-year-old Brisbane boy Quaden Bayles.
Quaden's mom, Yarraka Bayles, live-streamed a video on Facebook showing the inconsolable schoolboy saying he wanted to end his life as a result of bullying. In the video, Quaden can be heard telling his mom: "Give me a knife, I'm going to kill myself."
Yarraka accompanied the distressing footage 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):
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.
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 let's please be kind to each other - bullying is not OK", before adding; "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."
Another individual who has reached out to Quaden is "resilience educator" Brook Gibbs.
Taking to Instagram, Gibbs shared a picture of himself talking to Quaden, along with the caption explaining that he is helping the youngster process the "mean words/actions" he deal with from bullies:
"I have a new buddy named Quaden. The world was introduced to him in an emotional state of suicidal despair. You won’t see that side of him again. I’m honored to be his resilience coach. He’s learning two core skills during our sessions:
"1. How to be unfazed by the mean words/actions of others
"2. How to be kind to everyone, even the jerks in his life.
"With his awesome mother’s help reinforcing these lessons, I believe he will be prepared to do great things and make the world a better place. #TeamQuaden"
Last week, Quaden's family revealed that he would not be accepting the all-expenses-paid trip to Disneyland that was funded by thousands of donations on GoFundMe.
Comedian Brad Williams, who, like Quaden, was born with 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. All additional money would be used for charitable purposes.
However, despite more than $460,000 dollars being raised, 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."
PLEASE, if you or anybody you know is having suicidal thoughts, reach out to somebody or contact one of the mental health charities below:
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.
Last Tuesday, Brisbane mother Yarraka Bayles took to Facebook to live-stream her nine-year-old son, Quaden, crying uncontrollably after an incident with another pupil at his school left him wanting to take his own life.
The video - which was captioned: "This is the [impact] of bullying! I seriously don’t know what else to do" - shows the young inconsolable schoolboy saying: "Give me a knife, I'm going to kill myself."
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.
You can watch the full video below (Warning: some viewers may find it upsetting):
Speaking to NITV News, Ms Bayles the incident that had left her son so upset:
"He wasn't even going to school yesterday until the principal rang and said the Brisbane Bullets [a basketball team] were coming. I went to pick him up and saw him with the kids and the Bullets on the basketball court. Me, my daughter, and my granddaughter were watching and then while they were lining up to get their singlets signed by the players, one of his classmates was patting him on the head and making references to his height.
"She was patting him on the head like a little puppy. My daughter and I looked at each other and we made signals to him to ask if you are right, and he was like 'No' and he was looking at me horrified, like 'Don't make a scene mom'.
Yarraka then explained how she felt "helpless" watching her young son breakdown in front of her:
"You could tell he was very uncomfortable but he was so good at trying to shrug things off, he doesn't want people to know how much it's affecting him, he's so strong and confident but it's times like these when you just see him crumble. It was just heartbreaking to watch, it made me feel helpless."
In response to the video, people all over the world have provided Quaden and his mom with an outpouring of support - including celebrities like 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."
Comedian Brad Williams, who also has dwarfism, even set up a GoFundMe account to send Quaden to Disneyland, writing:
"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.
However, as reported by the New York Post, several conspiracy theories are now circulating comments sections all over social media regarding 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:
"I really don't think he's lying about his age. And just because there's videos of him flossing money and acting all gangster, and acting all cool and everything, it doesn't mean that kids do not pick on him.
"Come on, just because he's acting a certain type of way and trying to be cool, his parents are probably trying to boost up his ego and make him act a certain type of way for Instagram.
"You motherf*****s be acting up for Instagram every single day. Y'all be acting like you've got money every day and y'all broke. Y'all b*****s act like y'all broke. Like ya got money and ya broke."
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."
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