Quaden Bayles, the nine-year-old boy who in a heart-wrenching video said he wanted to kill himself after being bullied at school, had the “best day of his life” when he led out an all-star rugby league team in Australia on Saturday.
Bayles was taunted for his dwarfism and his mother had uploaded a video on Facebook earlier this week showing the youngster in tears in a bid to shed light on the effects that bullying has on young children.
“Give me a knife, I want to kill myself,” an agitated Bayles said in the video, as he sobs in the car and buries his head in the seat.
He received an outpouring of support from around the world, including encouragement from celebrities such as Australian actor Hugh Jackman, and was invited to lead out the Indigenous All-Stars rugby league team at the Robina Stadium in Queensland.
Wearing noise-cancelling headphones, Bayles held the match ball and captain Joel Thompson’s hand, leading the team out of the tunnel before their game against the Maori All-Stars, with a loud crowd cheering him on.