Boy's Adorable Letter Helped His Best Friend Get A New Wheelchair

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Boy's Adorable Letter Helped His Best Friend Get A New Wheelchair

Sometimes it takes a child's act of kindness to remind the whole world what friendship really looks like.

Paul Burnett and Kamden Houshan have been friends since they met in kindergarten. Like other kids Kamden loves superheroes and fun YouTube videos, but most of the kids in his class couldn't look past his wheelchair.

Kamden was born with a tumor on his spine that has left him in a wheelchair. While he can go to school and get around on his own, it doesn't let him do much else. California's medical program only offers Kamden a new wheelchair every 5 years, which means he's stuck in a bulky and heavy one.

Kamden's chair is too wide to fit through his front door or even his bathroom, so his mother Yvonne has to carry him onto the toilet every day. Plus, the chair has a nasty habit of tipping over and throwing Kamden out whenever he's on uneven ground.

Kamden and Paul with their 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Araiza.Jenny Burnett / GoFundMe

Paul heard about all of Kamden's problems, but unlike most people he actually decided to do something about it. While he knew Kamden's family couldn't afford a new chair, Paul had heard about fundraising websites like GoFundMe.

With the help of his mom and an adorable letter about his best friend, Paul's fundraiser surprised everyone.

Read what Paul had to say on the next page!

While lots of people were happy to help Kamden buy a better wheelchair, what really made the fundraiser a success was Paul's very sweet letter about his friend.

"We have been friends since kindergarten and we love to play superheroes during recess," Paul wrote. "We love to go to McDonald's to eat Happy Meals and play at the park.  My friend Kamden was born with something on his spine and he can't walk.  He has been in a wheelchair since before I met him."

The goal was to raise $3,900 for a smaller, lighter wheelchair, but so far Paul's campaign has received more than $5,700 in donations, and it's still going.

Kamden has already ordered a new wheelchair, and it will be delivered next month. Until then he's been using a demo version of his new model, and the change is like night and day.

Kamden is more mobile now, which means he's more independent but also much happier, and that's all that his mother could ask for. "Paul is really just a sweet kid," she told Today. "I just couldn't believe it. Who would have thought? I never guessed it would be like this, not in a million years."

Share this heartfelt story with someone you know!

[H/T: Today]

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