13-Year-Old Boy with Cerebral Palsy Responds to Nasty Abuse He Suffered on Social Media

A 13-year-old, Rhys Porter, took a stand on social media after people bullied him for playing soccer with a cerebral palsy condition.

Rhys Porter was born with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and later developed epilepsy. Although his condition is challenging, the 13-year-old does not let his incapacity stop him from doing what he loves.

According to Porter, he is a big fan of sports as it plays a significant part in his life. Specifically, he is an athlete in a local disability soccer team and dreams of representing his country's disability league.

With a big dream and a strong mindset, Porter remains proud to be an athlete with a disability. Recently, he posted a video of him in action during a local tournament.

The short TikTok clip showed Porter as the goalkeeper for Feltham Bees, a disability sports club. At that time, he did not have many followers, but soon the video went viral. The teen said:

"The next day I was subject to thousands of hateful online comments discriminating against my disability. Some people even telling me if I can't walk I shouldn't play sport [sic]."

Porter's mother, Kelly, was also hurt by the hate thrown at her son. "Loads of people saying 'Why don't you stand up? Oh you can't," she said. "A big one that stuck in my mind was, 'Why have those parents put a disabled children on a pitch full of normal children?'"

The actress' son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and soon after, she advocated for therapy to help children who suffer from the illness.

Naturally, Porter was sad and upset over the hateful comments, but he learned to stand up to others with his supportive family, friends, and online community. He even received support from Everton Arsenal, Chelsea, Brentford, and the Cottagers.

Porter has since taken the initiative to raise awareness for kids with disabilities like him and be the bigger person against bullies in such a situation.

Porter encouraged everyone to join him to stay active and rise against indifferences against children with disabilities. The challenge is to stay active from August 24 to September 5, in line with the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

"I have challenged my whole family from my Nan right down to my baby cousins to join me in clocking up to 20 minutes each day partaking in various physical activities," he said.

Recently, another video of a boy with cerebral palsy, Kale Hannahs, went viral after scoring a touchdown while playing football at Detroit Lakes Middle School.

Cerebral Palsy is a disorder that challenges a person's mobility, affecting their balance and posture. As such, Hannahs has been mobile through his wheelchair for as long as he can recall.

Cerebral Palsy is a common disability in kids, and so even Hollywood celebrities are familiar with the condition, including former "Rich House of Orange County" star Meghan King.

The actress' son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and soon after, she advocated for therapy to help children who suffer from the illness.