New York Boy Sees Classmate Bullied for Old Shoes, Sacrifices Allowance to Buy Him New Ones

A heartwarming story of two middle schoolers went viral on the internet after one of them was bullied by his classmates for wearing torn shoes, and the other boy did something that left everyone speechless.

Teenagers Romello "Mello" Early and Melvin Anderson are seventh graders at Buffalo Creek Academy Charter School who enjoy spending time together and had no idea that their story would make it to the news.

People who know the boys are aware of their contrasting personalities. Mello is an extrovert who loves the outdoors, while Melvin enjoys his own company and always speaks politely. Moreover, Melvin is taller than his best friend.

Hurting for His Friend

Mello and Melvin spend most of their time together in school. In October 2022, Mello noticed that other students in his class regularly made fun of Melvin's torn shoes and bullied him for wearing them to school.

Despite feeling hurt, Melvin didn't discuss this with his best friend. He kept his feelings to himself, but Mello sensed that Melvin wasn't feeling too happy. He had been watching his friend receive demeaning comments for weeks.

Instead of talking to Melvin about the constant bullying, Mello went home one day and told his mother about it. He recalled telling his mom, "My friend is getting bullied, and I'm tired of it."

Confessing His Feelings

After explaining to his mother what happened in school, Mello asked her if she could accompany him to the shoe store so he could buy a new pair for his friend. The young boy offered to pay for them by using his pocket money.

Brown's Facebook post went viral in no time, and he couldn't help but share the news with the boys and their parents.

In case that money wasn't enough, Mello told his mother he was ready to sacrifice one of his Christmas presents to buy Melvin a new pair of sneakers. The seventh-grader just couldn't bear to see his friend in pain.

Bringing Love in a Box to School

"It just put a real bad ache in my stomach to see somebody have to go through that and to be picked on just based on appearance," Mello said. And after buying a new pair of shoes for his best friend, he couldn't wait to go to school.

The next day, Mello woke up and excitedly went to school, holding a box of sneakers. Not only did his classmates notice the big box in his hands, but it also caught the dean's attention.

Bryant Brown Jr., the Dean of Culture at Mello's school, immediately called him to see what the boy had brought to school. Upon seeing it was a pair of shoes, Brown couldn't understand why Mello brought them.

After Brown carefully listened to Mello's explanation, he got a little teary-eyed. The little boy's meaningful gesture touched Brown's heart, and he immediately called Melvin to his classroom.

He asked the boys to stand together and took a photo of them with Melvin holding his present. After asking their parents for permission, Brown posted the photo on Facebook and said:

"Melo used his allowance and bought Melvin some shoes. This is what I live for. Be that helping hand."

Humbled and Grateful

Melvin had never imagined that his friend would buy him a new pair of shoes. The humble boy never said a word to Mello and tried his best to mask his feelings, but Mello somehow understood them.

Mello later revealed that he knew how bad it felt to be bullied by classmates. He shared that he faced something similar in his previous school, where his classmates made fun of his short height. He added:

"And that made me think about how nobody else should have to go through how I felt."

Delighted to wear his new shoes, Melvin said he would pay Mello back after saving the money he earned from doing house chores. However, Mello asked him not to do that because paying for gifts wasn't allowed.

The Lesson

When Melvin went home wearing his new sneakers that day, his father, Wesley Anderson, didn't know the story behind them. Melvin told him they belonged to his friend, who gave them to him because of a size issue.

However, Wesley learned the true story after Brown called him. Brown's Facebook post went viral in no time, and he couldn't help but share the news with the boys and their parents.

"Oh my God. We're getting 30 likes every 30 seconds," Mello said when Brown showed him the Facebook post. Meanwhile, Wesley hoped other people would understand the power of kindness through the boys' story. Mello added:

"Treat someone the way you want to be treated because God always gives back for good deeds."

The Comments

After learning about Mello and Melvin's story, netizens couldn't help but post supportive messages. Here are some of the comments from the "Today Show's" Facebook post:

"Great job, young man! Hats off to Mom and Dad for raising such a caring and loving young man. The world needs more kids like you!"

― (@Susan O'connor) October 31, 2022

"This restores my hope that there is humanity in this world. Wonderful young man. A selfless and caring act on a different level. Big hugs to you."

― (@Stella Meeks) October 30, 2022

"This kind of kindness by a child can bring tears to one's eyes. So touching! Bravo to the family too!"

― (@Lisa Najman) October 30, 2022

It truly melts one's heart to watch children do the kindest things. They say that children are pure, and this story reflects that statement. Share this story with your friends and family to make them smile.

Click here to read another story about a college student who didn't think twice before jumping to save his friend from a bear attack.