A high school freshman at MLK College Preparatory School in Memphis is smiling a little brighter today. That’s after two of his classmates chipped in to donate clothes and shoes to the bullied teen.
“I was very happy,” Michael Todd told reporters for the local ABC affiliate. “Shocked completely.”
According to ABC13, Michael is a transfer student at MLK and for the first three weeks of school, he was bullied for wearing the same clothes every day. “I really don’t have clothes at home,” Michael explained to ABC13. “My mom can’t buy clothes for me because I’m growing too fast.”
While Michael didn’t receive a warm reception from his peers, things took a turn for the better when he was pulled out of his third-period class by two of the high school’s football players. What they had for him was a surprise that made even his classmates tear up. Kristopher Graham and Antwan Garrett gave him a bag with shirts, shorts, and shoes.
Kristopher said he was moved to make the surprise happen after he witnessed Michael being ridiculed. “When I saw people laugh and bully him, I felt like I needed to do something,” Kristopher told reporters. That’s when he got the idea to go through his closet and set aside a few pieces for his new schoolmate.
Kristopher also enlisted the help of his friend Antwan who donated a new pair of sneakers. Their generosity, which was caught on video, has led to more people coming forward to give what they can to the young man who says he’s been bullied all of his life.
“You guys are the best guys of my entire life,” Michael said to Kristopher and Antwan in the local report. The two young men hope that their act of kindness inspires others.
