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I brought my student to school yesterday and gave him the gifts I bought with everyone's help. I'll explain later why I didn't wait until Christmas.
I bought him his usual 6 McChicken sammiches and McFlurry. He was happy just to get that much. Then I asked him to get me something out of one of my closets where I had his gifts hidden. He looked at them, then at me prolly 3 times and then started crying like he had just learned there really was a Santa Claus. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to react. I told him to take them down and get to opening. I explained about the whole situation and about the people from here pitching in to help. His reaction was more tears. Remember, this is a 16 year old boy who tries to act tough, but knows he isn't a street rat like his friends. He had 3 boxes. His eyes were huge the whole time.
I couldn't wait to give him the gifts because he told me his grandma, he calls her mom because he was abandoned, was going down to East St. Louis to see family and he didn't know if he could go with or not. I drove he and grandma to Chicago, to the Greyhound station because it was like $50 less to leave from there than it was from home and bought Louis a ticket to go with his grandma. I also gave him a few dollars for his pocket and bought him minutes for his cell phone before he left. He didn't know what to say with me buying his ticket. I told him "my friends at Cycle Forums are paying for this one. Have a good time." He met a brother for the first time yesterday. His older brother is 18 and from what I've heard, a good kid now that he's grown up a little bit. He cried when I told him he could go with grandma. He had a bag packed, but his gma told him it would depend on the price. I might have had to bring him home. She knew I was buying the ticket, but wanted it to be a surprise.
Excessa sent some amazing cookies and something else. He wouldn't let me see because he knew I would try to get something. He gave me a, ONE, cookie. It was great. He told me to send a big thank you and a hug. I had to promise to put up the cards in my office, which I'll do the next time I get to school.
There's more I want to say, but this is more than enough, for now. Thanks to everyone and anyone for the help and prayers for this young man. He had the best Christmas imaginable. The best he's ever had. The whole thing really makes the holiday a lot better for me.
Jaxson, the shirt, socks, and card arrived yesterday afternoon. He'll get those when he returns after Christmas. Thanks a ton.
Here are a couple pics. He wouldn't let me take many because he kept tearing up.
I bought him his usual 6 McChicken sammiches and McFlurry. He was happy just to get that much. Then I asked him to get me something out of one of my closets where I had his gifts hidden. He looked at them, then at me prolly 3 times and then started crying like he had just learned there really was a Santa Claus. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to react. I told him to take them down and get to opening. I explained about the whole situation and about the people from here pitching in to help. His reaction was more tears. Remember, this is a 16 year old boy who tries to act tough, but knows he isn't a street rat like his friends. He had 3 boxes. His eyes were huge the whole time.
I couldn't wait to give him the gifts because he told me his grandma, he calls her mom because he was abandoned, was going down to East St. Louis to see family and he didn't know if he could go with or not. I drove he and grandma to Chicago, to the Greyhound station because it was like $50 less to leave from there than it was from home and bought Louis a ticket to go with his grandma. I also gave him a few dollars for his pocket and bought him minutes for his cell phone before he left. He didn't know what to say with me buying his ticket. I told him "my friends at Cycle Forums are paying for this one. Have a good time." He met a brother for the first time yesterday. His older brother is 18 and from what I've heard, a good kid now that he's grown up a little bit. He cried when I told him he could go with grandma. He had a bag packed, but his gma told him it would depend on the price. I might have had to bring him home. She knew I was buying the ticket, but wanted it to be a surprise.
Excessa sent some amazing cookies and something else. He wouldn't let me see because he knew I would try to get something. He gave me a, ONE, cookie. It was great. He told me to send a big thank you and a hug. I had to promise to put up the cards in my office, which I'll do the next time I get to school.
There's more I want to say, but this is more than enough, for now. Thanks to everyone and anyone for the help and prayers for this young man. He had the best Christmas imaginable. The best he's ever had. The whole thing really makes the holiday a lot better for me.
Jaxson, the shirt, socks, and card arrived yesterday afternoon. He'll get those when he returns after Christmas. Thanks a ton.
Here are a couple pics. He wouldn't let me take many because he kept tearing up.
