Neighbor's camera captures emotional footage of bullied boy going door to door seeking new friends

Bullying has long been a major issue that has wreaked havoc on the lives of many. A bullied child often has difficulties finding new friends or trusting people enough to befriend them. But one little boy displayed outstanding courage and vulnerability as he attempted to make new friends despite being bullied by some other kids in the neighborhood. A video shared by @brennanray on TikTok has received an outpouring of support from netizens with over 66 million views and counting. It shows a little boy knocking on Ray's door before saying something heartbreaking.

The boy, identified as Shayden Walker, can be seen going door-to-door looking for new friends. His heartbreaking attempt was caught on the doorbell camera of Ray's house. As Walker approaches the door, Ray greets him and says, "What's up, man?"

"Hi. I just wanted to see if you knew any kids around like 11 or 12, maybe, because I need some friends. Like, bad," Walker says, looking a bit restless.

Ray told him that two kids lived down the road and Walker could befriend them, but the little boy made a shocking revelation. "Well, um, they're not my friends anymore because they're bullies to me," Walker said. He proceeds to ask if Ray has any children, to which the man replies that he has a two-year-old daughter. "Oh, OK, that's great," Walker replies. "I love two-year-olds, to be honest. They're just the cutest things I have ever known." He adds that he enjoyed playing along with his little sister when she was two.

Although Ray did not welcome Walker inside to let him hang out with their kid, he did promise to say "hi" whenever he saw the poor bullied kid in the neighborhood. "Ok, you have a good day," Walker replied and then stepped away from the porch.

According to Daily Mail, this incident was captured in Amarillo, Texas. Walker must be lonely enough to want companionship so badly that he was determined to ask around the neighborhood. Upon reviewing his doorbell camera's footage, Ray found that the kid appears to have tried his house earlier, but possibly lost his courage and left from the porch.

However, he returned 30 minutes later while walking along the sidewalk to build enough confidence to knock at a stranger's door, seeking friendship. Netizens were touched by this video and many of them who faced bullying from their peers could relate to Walker's situation and how difficult it must have been for him.

The young boy's brave attempt encouraged Ray to start a GoFundMe to buy Walker "a gaming system, school clothes and hopefully some amusement park tickets and anything else he may want or need." It raised more than $37,000 before being closed.

Ray and his family even made a video where they visited Walker's house for the first time and their reunion is almost tearjerking. Even famous personalities like Bella Hadid left a comment on the video, interested to brighten up the kid's day as well. Many users on the platform left positive comments, cheering the little boy for his brave attempts to make new friends as one of the netizens noted that "Shayden has gained not only friends but loving families."

Walker's stepfather Dustin (@nosrettap2) made a follow-up video on TikTok along with the little kid by his side, telling the viewers how his stepson is a "completely different kid" than last week and they both thanked everyone for their wholesome support. Kudos to Shayden Walker for remaining strong despite being bullied. Here's hoping things will eventually get better.