Kid bought $3 candy and then gave struggling seller all his birthday money. His reason made mom burst with pride
But this time, Mateo wanted to do something different with the cash he had.
Children's innocence has no measure, but oftentimes this trait can spark a huge wave of kindness that could even teach adults the value of helping each other. Take 8-year-old Mateo, for instance, who gave the $23 he received as his birthday gift to a candy seller. But when his mother learnt the reason behind his kind gesture, it moved her to tears.
@danielasantos421 No me dejas de sorprender mi amor y me das las lecciones más grandes en esta vida 🥹 Todos debemos de aprender de ti y de lo noble que eres mi corazón ♥️ Te amo con todo el alma y jamás dejes de ser este niño tan maravilloso y noble que eres. Estoy muy orgullosa del niño en el que te haz convertido. Te amo 😭😭🥹❤️ #noble #actsofkindness #selfless ♬ original sound - WBsongs
Eight-year-old Mateo from Chicago was visiting Walmart for his birthday shopping spree with his mother, when he spotted a woman selling candies on the street. As the car had pulled up to a stoplight. the candy seller asked if he could buy something from her. Mateo's mother, Daniela Santos, told People, "There have been other times where they're at the light and he’s like, 'Mommy, can we please give them the money?' And I'm like, 'Honey, I never carry cash with me. I'm so sorry, baby.'" But this time, Mateo wanted to do something different with the $23 birthday cash he had received. As the woman offered him the $3 candy, Mateo reached out to pay more than the bill; he pulled out an extra $20 bill to give to the woman.
Santos, who was confused by her son's gesture and thought he had mistakenly handed her the money, asked, "Honey, it's $3, not $23," but Mateo's gesture was intentional and came from a place of kindness. When questioned, Mateo responded that he wanted to help the woman so she could buy milk and formula for her baby. Posting the interaction on her TikTok page, Santos revealed in the caption, "You never cease to amaze me, my love, and give me the greatest lessons in this life. We must all learn from you and how noble you are, my heart. I love you with all my soul and never cease to be the wonderful and noble child you are. I am very proud of the child you have become. I love you."
In a 2010 study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it was shown that when one person contributed generously, those who benefited were more likely to pay it forward. When Mateo helped the poor woman, his act of kindness inspired several online users to be part of his mission to help people in need. Interestingly, soon after Santos uploaded the video online, many kind strangers across the country left messages praising Mateo's values. People also began asking for the mother's CashApp to send birthday gifts to Mateo. She shared, "We were reading the comments together, and that’s when he said, 'Mom, I prefer for them to give me the money so I can keep donating it to people that need more help than us.'"
With her son's permission, Santos opened a GoFundMe to turn Mateo's birthday wish into a bigger mission. "All the donations, 100%, will go to helping others in need," Santos revealed.
Many online users poured in appreciation for the young boy with a heart of gold. @2bandsack2hunnidbandbag wrote, "This is literally such a flex as a parent; your kids are a direct reflection of yourself." @user140559932 commented, "You’re surprised by his actions when YOU’RE the one who showed that to him. You’re proud of him, but we’re proud of you!" @JoseTorres wrote, "He's going to make the world a better place."
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