BRISBANE, Australia (Gray News) – The family of a bullied Australian boy will turn down the money raised to send him to Disneyland.
The boy has a type of dwarfism called achondroplasia, a condition that creates shortened limbs. (Source: Yarraka Bayles/Facebook)
The heartbreaking video of 9-year-old Quaden Bayles telling his mother he wanted to die sparked an outpouring of support from the around the world, including from Aussie actor Hugh Jackman, who told the boy in a video that “you’ve got a friend in me.”
A GoFundMe page set up by American comedian Brad Williams raised more than $470,000 to send the boy and his mom to “The Happiest Place On Earth.”
The love you have shown is unbelievable. Thank you! Money donated will not be wasted! We have a team of people making sure everything is completely legitimate. We thank you for your generosity and patience while we make sure all this is done the right way.
— Brad Williams (@funnybrad) February 21, 2020
“What kid wouldn’t want to go to Disneyland, especially if you have lived Quaden’s life. To escape to anywhere that is fun that doesn’t remind him of his day to day challenges,” Quaden’s Aunt Mundanara Bayles told Australia’s NITV.
“But my sister said, ‘You know what, let’s get back to the real issue.’”
The family said it wants the money to go to community organizations, including Dwarfism Awareness Australia and the Balunu Healing Foundation, a charitable organization focused on indigenous youth.
Quaden is an Aboriginal Australian of the Murri people and has a type of dwarfism called achondroplasia, a condition that creates shortened limbs.
“We need to come together and work out how to make sure young people like Quaden don’t have to deal with what they have been dealing with,” Mundanara Bayles said.
“We’ve had seven kids at the Murri School in Brisbane, where I am on the board, take their lives in the last 10 years.”
Quaden previously appeared on Australian TV in 2015 for another bullying incident. He was just 4 years old at the time.
The family’s decision not to take the Disneyland trip will add to the funds going to local organizations.
When the GoFundMe account was established, it said, “Any excess money will be donated to anti-bullying/anti-abuse charities.”
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