Eight-year-old Christian Moore touched hearts around the world when a photo of him comforting an autistic classmate on their first day of school was posted to Facebook, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/2nd-grader-befriends-classmate-autism-day-school-found/story?id=65204829">ABC News reports</a>. Connor Crites, also 8, began crying outside the school gates, ahead of his first day as a second-grader at Minneha Elementary School in Wichita, Kansas earlier this month. The young boy told local news station <a href="http://www.kake.com/story/40955979/photo-of-8-year-old-wichita-boy-helping-classmate-with-autism-goes-viral?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KAKE-TV">KAKE:</a> "[Christian] was kind to me. I started crying and then he helped me. And, I was happy... He found me and held my hand and I got happy tears." The heartwarming post, which has since been removed, had been shared at least 21,000 times. Courtney Moore, Christian's mother, watched proudly from a distance as her kind-hearted son held the hand of a fellow classmate in distress. <img class="wp-image-12548433 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2019/08/4b973229-screen-shot-2019-08-28-at-09.54.29.jpg" alt="schoolboy comforting friend" width="473" height="655" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook / Courtney Coko Moore]] "I saw [Christian] on the ground with Connor as Connor was crying in the corner and he was consoling him," she said. "He grabs his hand and walks him to the front door. We waited until the bell rang and he walked him inside of the school. The rest is history. They have an inseparable bond." Needless to say, Connor's mother, April Crites, felt a lot of gratitude towards Christian for not only consoling her anxious son but also for befriending him. Crites has since reached out to Moore on Facebook in order to stress how thankful she is that her son managed to form such a strong bond with a child as compassionate as Christian. <img class="wp-image-12548436 size-full" src="https://img.vt.co/2019/08/c1b5bbf7-nintchdbpict000516663768.jpg" alt="schoolboy comforting friend" width="670" height="893" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook / Courtney Coko Moore]] Writing to Moore on Facebook, Crites explained: "I worry every day that he is going to get bullied for being different and your son just absolutely warmed my heart. If there were more children like him I wouldn't worry about such things." Crites told <a href="http://www.kake.com/story/40955979/photo-of-8-year-old-wichita-boy-helping-classmate-with-autism-goes-viral?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KAKE-TV">KAKE</a> that she was concerned her son would be subject to bullying due to the behavioural differences between him and the other students. <img class="size-full wp-image-12548439" src="https://img.vt.co/2019/08/89e003ff-screen-shot-2019-08-28-at-09.56.47.jpg" alt="messages screenshot" width="475" height="738" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook / Courtney Coko Moore]] "I fear every day that someone is going to laugh at him because he doesn't speak correctly, or laugh at him because he doesn't sit still or because he jumps up and down and flaps his hands," she said. "It doesn't matter colour, it doesn't matter gender, it doesn't matter disability, and it doesn't matter anything, just be kind, open your heart... it's what we need in this world." The touching moment has since spawned a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/ChristianandConnor/about/?ref=page_internal">page</a> titled "Christian & Connor Bridging The Gap" with the aim of "taking a stand against bullying, violence and racism".

Little boy takes crying autistic classmate's hand on first day of school

Top Stories

News

Man dips finger in Yellowstone hot spring, accidentally falls in and dissolves within a day

News

Man who died after fight at football game once saved a young girl from drowning

News

James Bulger's killer Jon Venables granted parole hearing

News

Tourist plummets 300 feet to his death after slipping off terrifying 130-foot ladder bridge

News

Alleged 'alien corpses' found to have 'no relation to human beings' after scientists conclude tests

News

Patriots fan dies after allegedly being 'punched in the face' by Dolphins fan during football game