Bullied Quaden Bayles will donate money raised for him to charities instead
Almost $500,000 has been raised to send Quaden Bayles to Disneyland following a heartbreaking video showing how distressed he was after being bullied. But the nine-year-old, who has achondroplasia, intends to donate the money to local charities instead.
NSW
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A bullied Queensland schoolboy who had almost half a million dollars raised for a Disneyland holiday has decided to donate the money to local charities.
Nine-year-old Quaden Bayles’ plight with school bullies was brought to light after his mother posted a harrowing video of the child, who has achondroplasia, hysterically crying after school.
In the days following there was an outpouring of support for the Brisbane boy, with more than $450,0000 raised for a family trip to Disneyland.
But family members have said they will skip the trip overseas and donate the money to local charities.
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“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 Aunty Mundanara Bayles told SBS.
“But my sister said ‘you know what, let’s get back to the real issue’. This little fella has been bullied. How many suicides, black or white, in our society have happened due to bullying?”
“We want the money to go to community organisations that really need it. They know what the money should be spent on.
“So as much as we want to go to Disneyland, I think our community would far more benefit from that.”
They will likely donate almost half a million dollars to Dwarfism Awareness Australia and the Balunu Healing Foundation.