Little boy gifts grandfather his first home run baseball in emotional video: 'Papa, I love you'

Children often share a close bond with their grandparents and it's no different for Felix, who adores his grandfather, Bruce Carrier. The former school superintendent is very close to his grandson and has played an important role in molding him as a person. A video of the 9-year-old kid gifting his grandfather the game ball after hitting his first ever home run is touching our hearts. The family is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was Felix's mom, Melissa Carrier-Damon, who captured the video and shared it on Instagram where it went viral. Bruce Carrier plays baseball with Felix and is a fixture at all of his games.

The video starts with Felix approaching Carrier, who he calls "Papa." The onscreen text reads: Felix got his first home run and wanted to surprise his Papa. "So, you know I got two home runs right?" Felix tells Carrier, who he knows was at the game. Carrier says, "Yes, two home runs," while holding up two fingers. Felix then takes out a baseball from his pocket and says, "I signed the ball for you and it says 'Papa, I love you.'" Carrier's eyes begin to well up and his voice starts to break. "Why did you do that?" asks Carrier, who is visibly emotional. The 9-year-old, without skipping a beat, replies, "Because you taught me everything about baseball." The pair share an emotional hug. The boy's mother captioned the video, "Grab your tissues."

Carrier-Damon, 38, revealed that her dad has always been a huge part of her son's life. "My parents have lived here for the last five years and spend a lot of time with my kids," she told TODAY. "My dad was a college basketball coach and played baseball in college, so he’s done a lot of sports with the kids." Carrier-Damon, a mom-of-three, said her son had been playing baseball since he was 4 years old and began playing for a traveling baseball team.

Carrier-Damon said her father often plays with him and helps him refine his game. "They play catch and he’ll take him to batting practice and he comes to all of his games," she said. In the match in question, Felix scored his first home run, a double, followed by a grand slam. As a reward for his splendid performance, the boy was given the match ball. "He got both the balls and we told him to sign them. He signed his name and then on one he wrote, 'Best feeling ever,' and on the other, he wrote, 'Papa, I love you.' 🥹 ❤️" she wrote. Carrier-Damon said it was her boy's idea to gift the ball to his grandfather. "We drove over there and I said 'Go get Papa and you can give it to him,' and I was able to get the moment on video," said Carrier-Damon.

She shared the video with her loved ones and friends but was surprised when it went viral. "It's been something I never imagined," she said. People just couldn't get enough of the video. "I'm crying! such a special bond they have, I love how Grandpa calls him honey, so sweet," wrote one person. One person said that grandparents are a blessing. "Goodness, this is the sweetest video! Grandparents are so damn precious!" they wrote. "OMG! 😭What a sweet grandson. Shows he has a super grandpa too. This is what’s most important in life. ⚾️💙," wrote another person. "He was trying to hold it back and just be proud and the 'I love you' totally got him. ❤️🥰😭," wrote another person, referring to the grandfather. A person claiming to be family heaped praise on Carrier. "This is our brother-in-law and niece’s son. He is one of the best and it shows in his children and grandchildren!" they wrote. Carrier-Damon was overwhelmed by the responses and said it was touching to see so many people comment such nice things on her post.