There's been an outpouring of international?support?ever since the disturbing video of?a nine-year-old Australian boy crying and saying he wants toend his life because of bullying, went viral.
More recently, the boy named - QuadenBayles -?was given the honour of leading the Indigenous team in theannual match against the New Zealand M¨Ħoris, in GoldCoast.
Bayles walked out with theNational Rugby League's Indigenous All Stars team, ahead of an exhibition matchagainst the New Zealand Maoris .
Captain of the Rugbyteam Latrell Mitchell?appeared in a video, inviting the youngster to have the pre-game honour of leading the side outonto the field.
Ħ°WeĦŻve got your back and just want to make surethat you are doing all right ... we want you around, we want you to lead us outon the weekend,Ħħ Mitchellsaid.
"Just make sure you arethinking the right things bud, because we want you around, we want you to leadus out on the weekend.?Make sureyou are looking after yourself and hopefully we are going to see you in thenext couple of days."
Theoutpouring of support for Bayles came after his mother Yarraka posteda video of the effects of schoolyard bullying on her son.
Hugh Jackman wasone of the celebrities to publicly reach out to Quaden. "Quaden, you arestronger than you know, mate," Jackson said ina Twittervideo. "No matter what, you've got a friend inme."
American comedian Brad Williams has helped raisemore than $300,000 via a GoFundMe campaign to send Quaden on a trip toDisneyland in California.
The video Quaden's mother posted vividly showed just how harrowing and crippling bullying can be.?Ħ°This is what bullying does,Ħħ she said into thecamera as tearsstreamed down her son's face.
Ħ°IĦŻve 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,Ħħ she said.
Bayles is an Australian boy withachondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Quaden was diagnosed when hewas three daysold.?
It is very easy to judge someone and make fun of them, but does that really make us superior to them? Or in any way, add to our lives or theirs? However, it does pay to be kind to someone, whether or not you know what they're going through. When kids face such trauma, it shapes their understanding of the world, as well as themselves. They see themselves and less worthy and not deserving of certain things; needless to say, this can be detrimental in the long run, in more ways than one. So, it is extremely important to sensitize kids and educate them on how to treat others around them - irrespective of what they look like or where they come from.