When 12-year-old Brody picked up his yearbook, he was excited for people to sign it. Sadly, he was the victim of bullying, and a total of two students signed their names and nothing else.
At home, Brody's mother's heart was shattered for her son. She stepped in, posting about it to the school's Facebook page for parents, and the next day, everything changed.
He Was Upset When She Picked Him Up That Day
When Cassandra Ridder picked her son Brody up from school in Westminster, Colorado, on May 24, 2022, she could see he was upset.
She was confused, thinking he would be excited since it was the end of the school year and he'd just received his yearbook.
No One Wanted To Sign Brody's Yearbook
Ridder could tell her sixth-grader was sad, and when they got home, she learned why. Brody told her that his classmates didn't want to sign his yearbook and, after taking a look, Ridder was shattered.
Two classmates and two teachers signed their names and nothing more.
Brody Was Bullied At School
Ridder knew her son was occasionally bullied at school, but she still had hope that he would come home smiling with a bunch of wonderful messages written in his yearbook.
She was heartbroken.
There Were Some Names But No Messages
Brody's mom explained what she saw in Brody's yearbook, saying, "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."
Brody Wrote A Message To Himself
The thing is, the lack of messages and signatures wasn't the only thing that brought tears to Ridder's eyes.
On one of the pages, she says her son had written a message to himself.
"Hope You Make Some Friends" - Brody Ridder
Brody wrote to himself, "Hope you make some more friends," singing his full name, Brody Ridder, next to the message.
His mom explained that his classmates often picked on him solely because he was skinny and his ears stuck out.
Ridder Went To The School's Facebook Page For Parents
While the bullying got Ridder's blood boiling, the yearbook was too much.
So, she went to the school's Facebook page for parents, wanting to let others know what had happened to her son.
"Teach Your Kids Kindness."
She vented on the page, writing, "My poor son. Doesn't seem like things are 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."
Something Amazing Was About To Happen
All Ridder wanted to do was express her sorrow and disbelief that something so sad had happened to her son.
She didn't expect her post to go viral or make an amazing impact on her son's life.
A 17-Year-Old Wanted To Do Something
It started with 17-year-old Joanna Cooper's mother. She sent the 11th grader a screenshot of Ridder's post.
it was then that Joanna decided something had to be done because no kid should feel like Brody did at that moment.
Joanna Gathered Some Friends
The upperclassman gathered some of her friends with the goal of seeing Brody in his homeroom class the next morning and sign his yearbook.
Little did she know that others had the same plan.
"When I Was Younger, I was Bullied A Lot Like Him..."
Another 11th grader, Simone Lightfoot, also wanted to see Brody and sign his yearbook.
During an interview, she said, "When I was younger, I was bullied a lot like him...If I could do one little thing to help this kid feel a little better, I'd be more than willing to."
"...I Wanted To Be There For Him"
Even an 8th grader, Maya Gregory, wanted to be there and support Brody.
Maya, a victim of bullying herself, said, "No one helped me when I was in that situation...So I wanted to be there for him."
Brody's Yearbook Started To Fill With Warm Messages
Brody's story spread throughout the Colorado campus, and soon, his yearbook was full of heartwarming messages and even some phone numbers!
People actually wanted him to call them over the summertime.
"Facebook This!"
The young boy couldn't believe it. He didn't waste much time taking a photograph of his newly-signed yearbook and sending it to his mother.
The message he sent along with the photo was simple, "Facebook this."
"The Best Day Ever"
During an interview, Ridder said, "He had messages from eighth-graders and even 11th graders..."
"Brody's exact words to me were, 'This is the best day ever.' Some kids even put their phones for Brody to contact them."
Such A Positive Outcome
Ridder had never seen her son so happy. It was not only the best day for him but also for her, as a mother.
She couldn't believe the positive outcome a simple Facebook post could make.
Over 100 Messages!
By the end of the day, Brody's yearbook had over 100 messages and signature in it.
Someone even brought him a gift bag full of treats in hopes of making him feel better.
Kids Who Didn't Want To Sign Lined Up
Amazingly, some of those signatures were even from the kids who, at first, refused to sign Brody's yearbook.
By the end of the day, they were lining up, wanting to say sorry and sign.
"It Made Me Feel Like There's Still Hope..."
Ridder was overcome with emotion at the sudden change in the students' hearts.
During an interview, she explained what it meant to her, saying, "It made me feel like there's still hope. Not just for Brody but for humanity.
