A mother has been left devastated after discovering that only a handful of kids had signed her son’s yearbook.
Cassandra Ridder told the Washington Post that when she was a kid signing a classmate's yearbook was 'all the rage'.
That’s why it broke her heart when her 12-year-old son Brody only brought home a few signatures after students refused to sign his.
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And as if that weren’t shattering enough, Brody also penned a personalised message to himself along with the few signatures that read: “Hope you make some more friends. — Brody Ridder.”
The Colorado mother disclosed to the outlet her son had been at his current school since the fifth grade.
She said that Brody has struggled to make friends and has been subjected to relentless bullying, frequently being called names and shoved by his peers.
As the bullying got worse, Cassandra reported the incidents to the school’s administration; however, she maintained that the bullying ‘was still there’ after her complaints.
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After his fellow students refused to sign Brody’s yearbook, Cassandra decided to act.
She shared a screenshot of it in a private Facebook messenger group with the parents of the school, expressing her sadness.
Children of the parents in the Facebook group provided outpouring support to Cassandra and Brody.
One student, Joanna Cooper, 17, messaged the mother saying no one 'deserves' to feel like that and agreed to sign his yearbook.
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As the screenshots circulated in the school community, more and more older students rallied behind Brody. They had even paid him a visit to his homeroom classroom upon hearing the news.
Simone Lightfoot, a year 11 student, told that outlet she was prompted to help Brody as she too was the victim of bullying.
“When I was younger, I was bullied a lot like him,” she said.
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“If I could do one little thing to help this kid feel a little better, I’d be more than willing to.”
As many older children urged their friends to sign, Brody’s yearbook suddenly became full of countless heartwarming messages.After the sweet gesture, Cassandra admitted: "It made me feel like there’s still hope."
“Not just for Brody, but for humanity," she added.
After the story broke, many reached out to the young student; even Ant-Man himself, Paul Rudd, who video chatted with the boy.
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While FaceTiming, the A-lister said: "I heard about you, and I'm like I gotta talk to his kid because this kid sounds like my kind of guy."
The cast of 'Dear Evan Hansen' have also reached out to Brody and gifted him with free tickets to one of their performances.
The Broadway show tells the story of a socially anxious teen who feels isolated, but that all changes when someone notices nobody has signed his cast.
The cast sent a video of support and asked him to bring along his yearbook.
"Please bring your yearbook so we can sign it," numerous cast members said in the video.
They added: "You are not alone."
Topics: Education, Good News, News, US News, Viral, Parenting
Charisa Bossinakis