Tom Hanks sends his vintage typewriter to boy bullied for his name, writes him a heartfelt letter

Just when we were starting to think Hollywood's nicest guy, Tom Hanks, couldn't get any nicer, the Sleepless in Seattle star has proved us wrong in the sweetest way possible. The celeb recently made a new friend after an 8-year-old Australian boy named Corona De Vries reached out to Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson earlier this month. Writing to the couple who'd just returned to the U.S. after testing positive for the novel Coronavirus in Queensland, the young boy wished them a speedy recovery and told them that he knows what it's like to feel down as he is often bullied for his name.

"I heard on the news you and your wife had caught the coronavirus," young Corona wrote in the letter, reports BBC. "Are you OK? I love my name but at school, people call me the coronavirus. I get very sad and angry when people call me this." The 8-year-old posted his letter on April 6 and patiently waited for a response from the iconic star. Never one to disappoint his fans, Hanks wrote back to his young friend, sending a very special gift for Corona along with it.

Corona could hardly contain his excitement when Hanks' letter and surprise gift reached his home in Helensvale on the northern Gold Coast this week. "Dear friend Corona, Your letter made my wife and I feel so wonderful! Thank you for being such a good friend. Friends make their friends feel good when they are down. I saw you on TV, even though I was back in the USA already - and all healthy. Even though I was no longer sick, getting your letter made me feel even better. You know, you are the only person I've ever known to have the name Corona - like the ring around the sun, a crown," the Oscar-winning actor wrote in his letter. 

The carefully packed gift that arrived with the letter contained a vintage 'Corona' brand typewriter—the one used by the star while he was in Australia filming Baz Luhrmann's upcoming Elvis Presley biopic. "I thought this typewriter would suit you. I had taken it to the Gold Coast, and now, it is back - with you. Ask a grown-up how it works. And use it to write me back," Hanks wrote in his letter. Speaking to Nine News about the incredible gift, young Corona said: "It's awesome because it's so old it must have belonged to someone before they gave it to Tom Hanks."

The Forrest Gump star also included stationery and self-addressed envelopes in the parcel, urging his young fan to "write me back." Corona, who revealed that he loves the actor because of his role as the voice of Woody in the Toy Story movies, was particularly touched by Hanks' hand-written note at the end of the letter. "PS! You got a friend in ME!" the star had written at the bottom of the heartwarming letter; an adorable reference to the popular film's theme song.

Corona's dad, Kevin, praised the Hollywood celebrity for taking the time out to respond to the young boy, saying: "That typewriter meant a lot to Tom, and for him to give it to Corona is very, very special." As precious as the typewriter is, it's the new friend he's gained that matter the most to the young lad.