Two months ago, a mother named Cassandra Cooper went on Facebook to share her heartbreak after learning her son, Brody Ridder, returned home from school downtrodden, holding his new yearbook.
Instead of being filled with kind messages from teachers and friends, many pages in Brody’s yearbook remained blank, despite the shy 12-year-old’s best efforts at asking as many people as he could to sign it.
“My poor son,” the devastated mom wrote. “Doesn’t seem like it’s getting any better. 2 teachers and a total of 2 students wrote in his yearbook. Despite Brody asking all kinds of kids to sign it.
So Brody took it upon himself to write to himself. My heart is shattered […] Teach your kids kindness.”
Her message soon went viral catching the attention of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Paul Rudd (who plays Antman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). The actor soon replied, saying:
“I heard about you… I’m like, ‘I gotta talk to this kid because this kid sounds like my kind of guy.’
“Likes chess, likes fencing, likes dinosaurs… am I right?”
“Well, I’m very excited that I get to talk to you and I get to meet you,” Rudd added.
Along with chatting with an actual Avenger, Brody also received a handwritten letter from Rudd and a few other cool gifts.
“Dear Brody – it was great talking to you the other day,” Rudd wrote in his letter. “It’s important to remember that even when life is tough that things get better. There are so many people that love you and think you’re the coolest kid there is – me being one of them! I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’re going to accoplish. Your pal, Paul.”
Rudd also sent the young boy his very own Ant-Man helmet along with another special message:
“To my food friend Brody, for when he takes on the world!”
And it wasn’t only Rudd who was touched by Brody’s story.
The cast of the hit musical Dear Evan Hansen also sent Brody a special invite to watch one of their Broadway productions. They also asked that he bring his yearbook along for them to sign!
Upon learning of his story, many of his older classmates dropped by his class to surprise him and sign his yearbook.
You can watch a video about this heartwarming story below.
Thanks for reading. Please be so kind as to pass this story to your friends and family?
Sources:
- “Paul Rudd sends message to boy after classmates refused to sign his yearbook” Vt. Stefan Armitage. July 9, 2022.