It’s us again, here at the OM@home blog, a blog about children and young people, written for children and young people . . . .
For young people just like you, about young people who inspire us all at OM HQ.
Young people like Wyatt Erber . . . .
For a little boy, Wyatt has an awfully big heart . . .
So much so that, when he won $1000 in a recent scavenger hunt, the astonishing eight-year-old knew exactly what he wanted to do with it. Wyatt resisted the temptation to spend his winnings on toys. Instead, he gave his money to his neighbor – two-year-old Cara Kielty, who is fighting leukemia.
‘When Wyatt found out that Cara had cancer, his heart sank,’ explains his mom, Noelle Erber. ‘He said, ‘Let’s do it [the scavenger hunt] and if I win the $1000 I want to give it to Cara’. [Having won] he said, ‘I wonder how much chemo $1000 will buy for Cara’. He is really aware of what cancer is’.
Wyatt’s amazing gesture came just days after Cara’s diagnosis and has helped to comfort the Kieltys during a tough time.
Recalling the telephone call that she received from the kind-hearted third-grader, Cara’s mom Trisha says, ‘I knew he was wanting to do it for Cara [and] it’s the sweetest thing ever. But an eight-year-old giving adults money? I tried to protest to his mom, but then she told me that he’d asked how much chemo it would buy for Cara – he [really] gets it . . . he’s such a gracious kid.’
Cara remains sick and some difficult times lie ahead for all concerned. In his astonishing actions, however, Wyatt has demonstrated the power of friendship and shown that, in giving, we can all make a difference in the lives of others.
If Wyatt can do it, so can you. Think about what you can give. It doesn’t need to be money, sometimes kind words or good deeds are just as good. You could give a smile, give a little time, give some encouragement: just give something.
‘I’m completely floored by Wyatt,’ adds Noelle. ‘I’m very lucky to call him my son – he has always been a very sweet boy.’
Here at OM HQ, we couldn’t agree more.