You've got a friend...

All eleven-year-old Shayden Walker wanted was to make some friends. 

The Texas pre-teen was so desperate to meet other boys his age that he started knocking on doors in his neighborhood, asking if there were any kids nearby. 

He eventually ended up on the porch of the Ray family – where he had a conversation with Brennan Ray through his video doorbell. 

• “Um, I just wanted to see if you knew any kids around like eleven or twelve, maybe,” the boy said. “I need some friends, like really bad.”
• Brennan went on to tell Shayden he unfortunately only has a two year daughter. And when he told Shayden the house next-door had some boys his age, Shayden was quick to reply that they weren't his friends anymore, "because they're bullies." 

It turns out, Shayden had been getting bullied by the neighbors for quite some time. Diagnosed with autism, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder, and ADHD, he often has a hard time getting along with kids his age. 

But much like a heartbreak that heals with time, this story gets better. After hearing a little about Shayden's story, Brennan shared the boy's heartwarming video on TikTok in hopes of connecting him with some friends. 

• The video went viral, garnering a casual 11 million views and 170,000 likes from around the globe. 
• People from all over started reaching out to Shayden and encouraging him to keep going despite the bullies. 

📈 Bottom line: Shayden's confidence has rocketed since making so many friends from the video. His mom was worried at first that the video would garner more ridicule for her son, but she was relieved to find out it was exactly the opposite.

A GoFundMe page was even made for Shayden, and before they knew it, they had raised over $40,000 – so much they had to shut down the page because it exceeded expectations. 

• His Mom said the money will go towards buying Shayden a gaming system, new clothes, and tickets to an amusement park. 
• She also wants to donate a significant amount of the funds to tornado relief groups, the war in Ukraine, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.