A 12-year-old boy who came home from school in tears after classmates refused to sign his yearbook was overwhelmed the following day when older students tracked him down and filled its pages with messages of encouragement.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Brody Ridder, from Westminster, Colorado, had already endured bullying at a previous school before his family moved him elsewhere two years earlier. His mother, Cassandra Cooper, said the fresh start did not end the problem, with her son continuing to be pushed, called names and left to spend much of his time alone.
The situation reached a particularly painful point when Brody received his yearbook and began asking other children to sign it. Only two students and two teachers agreed, while some classmates rejected him outright.
When Cassandra collected him from school, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Brody was unusually quiet, and when she asked whether he had collected plenty of signatures, his eyes began to fill with tears.
“He said that he’d asked the kids in his class if they would sign his yearbook and some flat-out said ‘No.’ A couple of his classmates jotted down their names — but there were no messages. There was nothing about how smart, funny and awesome he is,” the mum told TODAY.
One of the few messages in the book had been written by Brody himself.
“Hope you make some more friends,” he wrote before signing his own name.
The sight of the largely empty pages, combined with her son’s note to himself, left Cassandra devastated. She shared a photograph of the yearbook on Facebook and described what had happened.
“My poor son. Doesn’t seem like it’s getting any better,” she wrote in a post, via 9News. “Two teachers and a total of two 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.”
When she shared the post with a closed Facebook group for parents at the school, she added one more line: “Teach your kids kindness.”
Cassandra did not expect the message to travel far, but other parents saw it and alerted older pupils. Those students then made plans to find Brody and give him the kind of yearbook experience he had been denied by his own classmates.
The following day, Cassandra received a text from her son alongside a new photograph. The previously empty pages were now covered with names, phone numbers and thoughtful messages from students who had gone out of their way to make him feel included.
“He had messages from eighth graders and even 11th graders,” she said. “Brody’s exact words to me were, ‘This is the best day ever.’ Some kids even put their phones for Brody to contact them.”
One pupil wrote: “Brody, I hope you have an amazing summer. You’re worth it, and you matter.”
Another added: “Have an amazing summer little man.”
A separate message read: “Brody you are so cool! Always keep your head up! Treat people with kindness and know you are loved!”
The response did not stop with older students. Cassandra said children who had previously refused to write anything also began lining up to add their names to the book once they saw the show of support surrounding him.
Some of the older pupils followed through on their promises to stay in touch and later took Brody out for ice cream. Cassandra said the experience left him on “cloud nine” and transformed the way he felt about returning to school.
“He used to dread the end of summer vacation. He’d try to fake sick on the first day,” she revealed. “But Brody is like a new person because of this outpouring of love and support. It’s been overwhelming — in the best way.”
The story eventually reached actor Paul Rudd, who contacted Brody after hearing what had happened. Cassandra shared footage of a FaceTime call between her son and the actor, explaining that Brody initially did not recognise who was speaking to him.
“Something AMAZING happened today!!!! Brody got to talk to Paul Rudd! ANT-MAN!!!! Like this this real life?! Pinch me now! Brody was so excited! I wanted to share a clip of their call,” Cassandra wrote online. “Shout out to Paul Rudd, and his sister Mandi for reaching out and setting this up! You truly made Brody so happy! My heart is so full right now!” she wrote.
Cassandra later recalled the moment Rudd helped Brody place him.
“He was just sort of staring at the screen — a little confused,” she said. “Then Paul was like, ‘You probably know me as Ant-Man. And Brody goes, ‘Oh my gosh! This is so cool.’”
Rudd’s wife, Julie Yaeger, also joined the conversation.
“Paul said, ‘Hold on — I have someone who wants to meet you,’” Cassandra recalled. “And then [Julie] introduced herself and told Brody he’s a total rockstar.”
A few days after the call, Brody received a handwritten letter from Rudd.
“It was great talking to you the other day. It’s important to remember that even when life is tough that things get better,” the actor wrote. “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 accomplish,” he added.
The package also contained a signed Ant-Man helmet carrying another personal message:
“To my good friend Brody for when he takes on the world!
“Paul Rudd. ANT-MAN.”
The pair then began exchanging text messages, discovering shared interests in dinosaurs, World War II history and Joe’s Pizza on Carmine Street in New York City.
In one exchange, Rudd told Brody that “something should show up” at his house.
“Your my favorite super hero,” Brody replied.
“You’re mine,” Rudd answered.
What began with one painfully empty yearbook became a much larger reminder of how quickly a child’s experience can change when other people decide to step in.
Featured image credit: Facebook
