Illinois kid uses $1,000 prize to give sick friend a 'second chance' at life: 'Lucky to call him my son'

Alfred Adler, a famous Austrian psychiatrist, had said, 'Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.' And surprisingly, kids understand the line more than anyone else. An Illinois boy who won a substantial amount in a scavenger hunt contest didn't ask for expensive toys; instead, he donated his prize money to a neighbor fighting leukemia.

Wyatt Erber, the 8-year-old, won a whopping $1,000 cash prize in the scavenger hunt competition, and knew exactly what he wanted to do with the money. Cara, his neighbor, a 2-year-old girl, was diagnosed with leukemia and had even started her chemotherapy sessions to get better. "He was really aware of what cancer is. When he found out Cara had cancer, his heart sank," Noelle Erber, his mom, shared with ABC News. A week after Cara's diagnosis, when she asked her son if he would like to contest a scavenger hunt, he instantly agreed, saying, "Let's do it, and if I win the $1,000, I want to give it to Cara." Wyatt's mom recalled that the idea of being able to help his little neighbor excited him and made him determined to win the competition for Cara. 

With his mommy's help, Wyatt visited multiple businesses in Edwardsville, collecting all 20 clues to complete the scavenger hunt. He turned out to be the first to turn in all the clues and ended up winning the contest. Wyatt called Trisha Kielty, Cara's mom, who was thrilled but not surprised, as she had always known of the kid's adoration for her daughter. "I knew he wanted to do it for Cara, which is the sweetest thing ever, but an 8-year-old giving adults money? I tried to protest to his mom," she recalled. When Kielty tried to convince Noelle against her son's decision, she revealed that Wyatt, in fact, had asked about how much chemo his prize money would buy, and it was everything he wanted to do. Kielty eventually agreed to accept the money and use it for Cara's treatment. "She grins ear-to-ear whenever Wyatt walks through the door," Kielty added, describing her daughter's bond with their gracious neighbor.

People say children cannot comprehend and analyze others' sufferings like adults, but we suppose Wyatt is just built differently. One wonders if parents have a role to play in fostering empathy in kids. Turns out, they do! According to a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, children learn from adults. If they see their close ones, especially parents, showing empathy, they adopt those values and model their behavior. The project encourages parents to indulge in self-care and self-reflection so they may handle their emotions better and thereby help children deal with stressors more efficiently.

Wyatt's astounding generosity is a big example of the ripple effects a small act of kindness can cause. Thankfully, it didn't go unnoticed. When a local charity heard about the little boy's mission, they decided to join in and help Cara's family with a donation equivalent to what Wyatt had won in the competition. Moreover, ABC News reported that a Canadian man heard about Wyatt's sweet gesture and even sent a letter praising the young man, along with $100 for Cara's treatment. "He's always been a very sweet boy. I'm very lucky to call him my son," Noelle said. Wyatt's story goes on to prove that empathy often echoes from unexpected places.