Boy's compassionate gesture when asked to pick Christmas gift for himself at mart leaves cops in awe

Christmas in 2023 was full of heartwarming incidents. Miracles in the form of random acts of kindness happened in almost every corner of the world. Particularly, many wholesome stories of kids making the holiday extra special with their thoughtful gestures are making rounds on the internet. NBC Chicago brought forward one such beautiful incident where a little boy's selfless act during a 'Shop with the Sheriff' event in Cook County moved the officers. As soon as the media house shared the video on TikTok, it instantly went viral with over 2.4 million views.

The 'Shop with the Sheriff' is something that many kids in Cook County look forward to every year as they are given $100 for a shopping spree at Walmart. Among the 100 local kids that were chosen, the officers noticed that Carlos stood out in the crowd. Lt. Michael Rivers, who was aiding Carlos during the checkout, found that the items in his shopping cart were unusual for what a boy of his age would usually pick. Carlos picked a large cooking pot and pan set along with a Barbie doll set. When Rivers asked about who the gifts were for, Carlos said that he picked them out for his mom and his little sister.

As Rivers double-bagged the Christmas presents for Carlos's family, he noticed that Carlos didn't pick anything for himself. "I don't need anything. I'm here to give stuff to my family," said the selfless boy and proceeded to leave the store. But the officer was so moved that he asked the boy again, "You didn't get anything for yourself?" and the boy replied, "I prefer giving stuff to my family." That is when Rivers decided to ensure that the boy left the store with a present he liked. The officers at the checkout insisted that Carlos go get something for himself. At first, the humble boy said, "No, no. It's okay," and still preferred to get more gifts for his family. But on River's insistence, he went on to get himself a LEGO set.

Speaking about Carlos's reaction to getting his own gift, Rivers said, "He was ecstatic. He was saying, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.' He was even worried about the cost." The grateful boy was so concerned about spending extra money and said, "Oh, that's too much. That's too much," but Rivers convinced him to buy what he wanted. Seeing the boy's thoughtful act, the Walmart manager decided to pay for his gift. Rivers told the channel that in this yearly event, it is common to see such selfless kids who decide to spend their money on their household needs like laundry detergents or kitchen utilities. "We constantly hear about so many kids doing wrong or doing bad and being careless and possibly even selfish. And this Carlos, the young man, demonstrated selflessness. He demonstrated putting his family first," said Rivers.

Several TikTok users were in awe of Carlos' thoughtful gesture. "You don’t find children like him every day. His parents may not have much but they are rich beyond compare and it shows in him," commented @carly20200. "Money does not raise good children, parents do! As a mother, this is a great Christmas present to see God in your son," wrote @creoleganjaqueen. "That child is incredible and that man who donated $100 is a Christmas angel. Both are such sweet people. Love it!" wrote @user3504070694216.