Hundreds of strangers help 7-year-old kid rebuild his hockey card collection after bullies stole his

A Canadian family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support they received from strangers both within the country and abroad after their young boy lost his precious hockey card collection in a bullying incident. Wynston Martin's story went viral online after his grandmother, Carleen Denell Fosseneuve, took to Facebook last week with a plea for help. "Last week while he was waiting to get on the bus Wyston was bullied and two young men stole his hockey card collection he was carrying and ran off with them. He had been building his hockey card collection for years and is a true St. Louis Blues fan. I am asking if anyone would like to donate a card or two it would help Wynston rebuild his collection," Fosseneuve wrote on Facebook. "The act of generosity and kindness would be so appreciated."

Speaking to CTV News, Fosseneuve shared that the 7-year-old member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation was heartbroken when his collection was stolen from him. "We were all pretty upset. Seeing him upset like that, I guess anybody would relate, have empathy for their child and their grandchild being bullied like that. The intention was to just try to make him feel better," she explained. The response to Fosseneuve's Facebook plea for hockey cards was immediate and far-reaching. "We had some kids up in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, they were collecting cards for Wynston. We had messages from Vancouver. Some messages from the States in Chicago," she revealed.

Meanwhile, friends and family who have been collecting cards in hopes of giving them to him for his birthday gave them to the youngster sooner in light of the recent incident. According to Global News, Fosseneuve shared that Wynston has also heard from a major hockey card producer who offered to replace some of his lost cards. "I think a lot of people share that joy of card collecting, and just that hockey spirit that everybody has for watching their favorite teams," she said. "The outpouring of support and kindness—it's been really overwhelming."

In addition to the cards, Wynston and his family also got to go on a trip to Winnipeg to watch the Jets play his favorite team, the St. Louis Blues. Fosseneuve revealed that although his team lost 4-0 to the Winnipeg Jets, Wynston was in awe to watch the Blues play live and in person with family members at Canada Life Centre Monday night. "This is amazing, the utter spirit of hockey, the love of the game," she said of the support her grandson has received since she made her post. "We are so thankful for the messages and output of love that you've shared with Wynston. We're so appreciative of all of the love."

Thanking everyone for standing with Wynston in his time of need, Fosseneuve wrote on Facebook: "We now have a new hockey family from all across Canada and the USA. Card collection families, coaches, teams, and fans alike have embraced Wynston wholeheartedly! You've shared a card or two from your own private collection, Wow! Thank you for standing with Wynston. You've helped to rebuild his collection and more importantly rebuilt his love for card collecting and the belief that great people like YOU exist! We are so humbled and I extend my gratitude to you all for the love and support, Kindness always WYNS."