Comic Brad Williams raises $400,000 to send bullying victim Quaden Bayles to Disneyland

Comedians can be heroes, too. That’s what American comic Brad Williams became when he helped raise money to send Quaden Bayles, a 9-year-old from Australia who was bullied at school for his dwarfism, to the happiest place on Earth: Disneyland.

The boy’s mother, Yarraka Bayles, posted a video on Facebook Live showing her son sobbing inconsolably in the back of their car, saying: “Give me a knife, I want to kill myself.” Her son had attempted suicide in the past, she said.

“This is what bullying does,” she says in the video, which went viral. “Can you please educate your children, your families, your friends?” Williams, who also has dwarfism, saw the footage and decided to do something about it.

Williams shared the story Wednesday on Twitter: “This makes me sick. I’ve been trying to get in touch with this family. … Please tell this wonderful boy that he has me and an army of friends all over the world that support him.”

Within hours, Williams reached the family and set up a GoFundMe with the hope of raising $10,000. By Friday afternoon, more than 18,000 people had pledged more than $400,000.

“I’m setting up this GoFundMe to let Quaden know that bullying will not be tolerated and that he is a wonderful human being who deserves joy,” Williams wrote on the website.

“This isn’t just for Quaden, this is for anyone who has been bullied in their lives and told they weren’t good enough. Let’s show Quaden and others that there is good in the world and they are worthy of it.”

The funds will cover travel, hotel, food and tickets to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Any additional money will be donated to anti-bullying and anti-abuse charities, Williams said.

Quaden also has been offered bully-proofing martial arts training, including a trip to Singapore, from Chatri Sityodtong, an entrepreneur who owns a chain of martial-arts academies in Asia.

The aboriginal Australian boy also was invited to lead the Indigenous All-Stars onto the field in their rugby league clash with the Maori All-Stars in Queensland on Saturday.

The video of Quaden also got the attention of celebrities, including Hugh Jackman, who posted a video of himself on Twitter and offered supportive words to the boy. “Quaden, you are stronger than you know. And no matter what, you’ve got a friend in me.”