Let’s admit it, not all 13-year-old boys think and act alike. Some would prefer just doing their thing, not minding whatever is going on inside their home. But there are a few, just like William Preston, who are highly sensitive to what their families are going through- whether it be good or bad.
This teen, though his mom wasn’t telling him, knew that something was up with his family. He knew that his mom was struggling to pay the bills for him and his sisters.
Most parents would never vent their frustrations at home, especially to their kids. However, kids can tell if something is wrong, and that’s what William felt exactly.
But in his case, he didn’t just feel it, he did something about it, and he did it BIGTIME!
He did it as the “man of the house.”
He didn’t do it just to look cool, for the attention, for the credits, or whatever. He just wanted to help his mom in every way possible.
This selfless boy did the unimaginable and touched the rest of the country’s hearts when his story came out in April of 2019.
Parenting really isn’t easy.
William’s mother, Krystal June Preston, wrote in a Facebook post (since deleted) about what their family was going through:
“The last couple weeks have literally been hell filled with so many tears, anger, confusion, and heartache.”
For their privacy, she decided not to go into details, however, she shared what her son had done for her.
The 13-year-old boy told KOLO (a local ABC News affiliate) that the loss of his mom’s car was one of their major problems.
“I saw on YouTube where people get their mom a car and then surprise her with it,” he said. “I wanted to do that.”
He definitely knew what he wanted to do, the only question left then was, how would a 13-year-old boy like him get a car? How’s he going to buy it? Can he afford it? What’s his plan?
A man on a mission
To earn extra cash, he was doing chores for neighbors. Though he was earning, the kid knew that he wasn’t making enough to pull off his surprise anytime soon.
He then saw a white 1999 Chevy Metro being sold on Facebook. He reached out to the woman asking her to sell it as a trade. He offered his precious gaming console, his X-Box, and some yard work in exchange for the car.
The kid didn’t know it wasn’t even close to being a trade, he was just too young to know these things. But what he had in mind kept him reaching for his goal, and that was to get his mom a car.
William told ABC 8 that the woman declined the trade at first:
“It was really cheap so I asked her if I could trade it or earn it, and at first she said no.”
Thankfully, the woman thought about the intention of the kid for getting the car, so she eventually said “yes.”
Close your eyes mom, tadah!
When William got home and told his mom he bought her a car, he got a typical response:
“William came home and said, ‘Mom I bought you a car.’ I of course laughed and told him, ‘Ya right!’”
But as soon as her son narrated the situation and what he did exactly, Krystal realized that her son was serious and telling the truth.
“I completely lost it. I started balling my eyes out. I am speechless my 13 year old son bought me a car. He did some work for this woman and that was his payment that he worked out with her. And here I thought it was a joke… Nope I was handed the keys and paperwork to the car and I’m freaking out but so in shock.”
The world loved it! Tens of thousands of people (if not more than that) on the internet were amazed by the young man’s love for his single mom. But the typical kid William didn’t want all that attention. He just did what a loving son would do.
“I didn’t really want that to happen,” he told ABC 8. “I just wanted to do it, that’s all.”
It’s payback time for mom
Just days after the surprise, Ms. Preston set up a GoFundMe page. There, she explained what her son did for her despite some challenges and disabilities that her son also has.
She wrote:
“He was born with a severe case of bilateral clubfoot. So from a week old William had surgeries and casting on both legs for years. He never once couldn’t do something he set his mind to. Learned to walk with a cast on and everything…William also has ADHD and it’s been a struggle for him for a couple years… “
The story pulled at people’s heartstrings. Thankfully, they reached their $13,000 funding goal, even more quickly after Ms. Preston shared that the family’s beloved dog had died.
She also posted on Facebook how proud she was of her son:
“He is such a good kid. He may have his days but OMG what 13 year old kid do you know that buys his mom a car… William I love you son and thank you. You have such a big heart and I love you…”
And the first person to comment?
Of course, it’s none other than her son, William!
Watch the video below to see the local news coverage featuring William, the selfless boy who loves his mom so much!
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