Kentucky Boy Lost His Brother, Donates Supplies to Kids He Would Have Gone to School with 5 Years Later

A boy from Kentucky made headlines some time ago for making donations he dedicated to his late brother. The idea was his own, but he got help from his mom and many netizens.

At the age of eight, Greyson Brooks has already proven that even little kids like him can have big hearts. The young boy recently devised an emotional way to honor his memories of his late brother, Wyatt.

Greyson is the oldest child born to Destiny Hayes. Besides him, she welcomed two other kids, including his sister, a 3-year-old named Hazel, and the late Wyatt.

WYATT NEVER GOT TO CALL HAYES "MAMA"

Wyatt was the youngest of Destiny Hayes and Jimmy Brooks' kids, but he was still a baby when he passed on. As such, there were many things that he did not get to do with his family.

His mom had been looking forward to watching him get on the school bus with his brother, Greyson, who had also loved his kid brother. Hayes described Wyatt as a "sweet child who had her wrapped around his little pinkie quickly.

Wyatt passed on in 2017, and Hayes never got to hear him call her "mama." As time passed, she readjusted to life without her child.

But in rare moments, like when she was preparing a school bag for her other two kids, Hayes would feel the buried feelings well up again. She also said:

"I have a nephew who was born a few weeks after Wyatt, and every time he hits a different milestone, it brings up feelings."

A BRILLIANT IDEA

Wyatt's passing was hard on those he left behind. They are past the pain but are determined to keep memories of the little boy alive. According to Hayes, one of those who was very particular about remembering Wyatt was his brother Greyson.

After the tragedy, he reportedly started going about with a framed photo of little Wyatt, whom he has named Bubba. It was quite surprising that Greyson had formed such a strong bond with his brother, who was only four months when he passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Greyson had been three years old when it happened, and for a long time, he asked after Wyatt, wanting to know where he was and when he would be back.

As he grew older, Greyson realized Wyatt was gone forever, and then he started thinking about how he could keep Wyatt's memory alive. After brainstorming, he devised a plan to pay tribute to his late brother and comfort his mother.

Last month, Greyson delivered supplies worth about $350 to Estes Elementary School in Owensboro, Kentucky. He asked that the stationeries among the supplies be given to the next set of Kindergarten students who would have been Wyatt's classmates. Greyson said:

"I did it for my brother who passed away at 4 months old, I wanted to donate the supplies to help the whole school."

The stationeries, which included writing materials, crayons, and markers, were all purchased from money Facebook users donated to the fundraiser Greyson's mother created.

He said he thought a lot about it, and after he told his mother, she supported him all the way. Her pride in him also swelled. In the fundraiser she created, Hayes talked about Wyatt's death.

She stated that the pain of the tragedy never really goes away, then revealed how grateful she is that they have been able to isolate the reason why infants succumb to SIDS, which means no other mom has to endure what she has.

GREYSON'S BIG HEART

Greyson's idea made Hayes proud and happy, and now she hopes they can keep doing something like that for Wyatt in the coming years.

According to Hayes, Greyson wants to help people because, at a young age, he is already aware of how much struggling people have to put themselves through to make ends meet.

Greyson handpicked every material they bought with money from the donation, and he only chose things he knew his younger brother would like. Hayes also mentioned how determined Greyson is to keep his brother's memories alive. She said:

"Any time he's doing something fun, he'll say, 'Bubba would like this.'"

This is because Greyson believes that Wyatt is smiling down from heaven, and who's to say he is wrong?

HOW PEOPLE REACTED TO GREYSON'S DEED

Not too long ago, TODAY shared Greyson's story with their Facebook users, triggering an outpour of well-wishes and praise for the boy. Some of the comments looked like this:

"Just such a wonderful and compassionate young man. We need more of him."

— (@David Johnson) August 7, 2022

"Awesome little Guy so caring. God Bless him & his Parents, they had to teach him to be so giving prayers for them & the school (sic)."

— (@Tressa Gilliam) August 7, 2022

"Made me teary . God bless him. And his brother will be an Angel watching him."

— (@Leah Leabres Lewis) August 7, 2022

TIPS TO DEAL WITH A LOVED ONE'S DEMISE

Death is a tough pill to swallow, especially when it happens to someone as close as family. But, here are a few tips that can help.

• There are different ways to grieve:

Unlike what many will say, grief is different for everyone, and no matter how empathetic well-wishers may be, they may never understand the grief a survivor has to live with. Of course, they will give a lot of advice and steps to handle the mourning process, but it is essential to know that everybody has their particular way of dealing with a tragedy so don't feel pressured into listening.

• Crying is therapy:

While grieving, one of the best ways to relieve yourself is to let out all the pent-up emotions you feel by crying. Unlike what many think, crying is not a sign of weakness but strength. Everyone feels better after a good cry; it is one of the most therapeutic methods of dealing with pain.

• It's okay to get mad:

Sometimes, one gets fed up with all the sympathy from well-wishers, especially those who don't know how to comfort someone in pain. Sometimes it gets so bad you explode, but you must understand that even that is allowed. Channeling anger means it won't eat you up from within, which is very important for healing.

Share this story if you think Greyson's act of kindness is worthy of respect.