8-year-old boy grew up homeless, sees his bed for the first time, has emotional reaction

Many of us may not remember the first time we slept in our own bed—it’s something that’s easy to take for granted. But not everyone is so fortunate. For one little boy in Detroit, getting his own bed was a life-changing moment, and his reaction said it all. Daeyr Neely and his mom had experienced years of homelessness, moving from one shelter to another, according to NBC. Since he was a toddler, Daeyr hadn’t had a bed to call his own. Thanks to Humble Design, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing homelessness, Daeyr’s dream finally came true.

The video capturing Daeyr’s reaction to seeing his bed for the first time is nothing short of heartwarming. As he steps into the bedroom and spots the bed, his wide-eyed disbelief says it all. The realization that this bed is truly his own hits him, and his emotions take over—he covers his face, overwhelmed, and begins to cry. Turning to his mom for a hug, his small shoulders shake with emotion. “It’s all for you, Sweetie,” his mom gently reassures him. This simple yet profound moment is a beautiful reminder of the power of kindness and the life-changing impact of having a place to call your own.

Dionna Neely, Daeyr's mom, lost her job and their home as a result, back when he was just 2 years old. The family entered a Detroit shelter after spending several years on the streets. The goal was to eventually receive city funding for public housing, but getting there would take time. For Daeyr, the transfer into the shelter was not a simple one. Dionna revealed that the shift presented him with challenges they hadn't anticipated. “He started to have a little trouble in school, once we moved to the shelter. But I explained to him that we had to do this in order to get our own home,” she said.

The family was eventually able to leave the shelter and move into their own house after some time there. It was a significant transition for the family and signaled a change in fortune. The family did not, however, have everything they required, regardless of how lovely it felt to finally have their own roof over their heads. They had very little to work with when it came to buying furnishings and furniture for their new home. Daeyr didn't have a bed for the first few months, so he slept on piles of blankets.

When Humble Design, a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce homelessness in various locations around the nation, learned about the Neely family's difficulties, they wanted to step in. They realized that furnishing their new house would go a long way toward assisting them. The Neely family received free furnishing and decoration for every room in their new home. The furniture was given as a gift by neighborhood residents. A significant change was made by decorating the house, which gave it a sense of home, and Daeyr got his own bed for the first time in years, giving him a memory that would last forever.

This article originally appeared 1 year ago.