AMARILLO, Tx. (KFDA) — Shayden Walker had no idea a Ring camera on a neighbor's doorbell would change his life.
He went viral after ringing his neighbor's doorbell looking for friends.
"I was wanting to see if you knew any kids around 11 or 12 maybe cause I need some friends real bad," Shayden said when he rang the doorbell.
Although the Ray family doesn't have any kids Shayden's age, they posted the video to TikTok and it blew up. They also started a GoFundMe, raising nearly $40,000
"What my life was like before, kids were manipulating me and they would be my friend. But when they ask me to do something horrible, I don't feel like they're actually my friend," said Shayden.
Before going viral, Shayden didn't have the confidence to be himself.
"He stims very hard. He flaps his arms and make noises that a lot of people have made fun of him [for]. So he told me, 'I just deal with the pain of holding it in so I don't get made fun of because of it,' and that hurt, that broke my heart," said Krishna Patterson, Shayden's mom.
After going viral, Shayden says his self-confidence has gone through the roof.
"If you can be the one to stand out and you know help somebody else set that trend make that the trend to be set to not be a bully," said Brennan Ray, Shayden's neighbor who posted the Ring video.
Shayden's mom hopes his story brings attention to an issue so many kids face.
"He's been hospitalized because the bullying was so bad and he felt so isolated. If you see it, just advocate for that person. Just be there for that person do not let that person suffer," said Patterson.
Shayden wants to leave everyone with this message: "How would you like it if someone were to bully you? How would that make you feel?"
