At only five years old, young Ryder Wells has faced more trauma than many people do in an entire lifetime.
In 2015, while visiting relatives for Thanksgiving in North Carolina, Ryder was viciously attacked by two large rottweilers.
At just 21 months old, the toddler suffered devastating injuries: half of his face was severely damaged, his teeth were shattered, and he endured a broken arm along with a punctured lung.
His family feared the worst, unsure if he would survive, but against all expectations, Ryder pulled through. Since then, he has undergone close to 50 surgeries to recover.
Instead of receiving kindness and admiration for surviving such a terrible ordeal, sweet little Ryder now faces hurtful remarks from both kids and grown-ups.
His teaching assistant shared that when Ryder first started school, even adults would stare at him.
Ryder’s mom, Brittany, told The Mirror newspaper, “When we’re at the park, there’s a child who yells ‘monster’ at him and then runs away.”
She added, “Just the other day while out shopping, someone shouted ‘ew’ at him. It’s heartbreaking as a parent to see him treated this way for something beyond his control, especially after everything he’s endured.”
“But he’s incredibly strong and refuses to let anything stop him,” his mother said.
Doctors called Ryder’s survival nothing short of a miracle, as they weren’t sure he would pull through.
Now, Brittany, a 31-year-old mom from Granite Falls, feels anxious about her son starting school.
“He wears glasses and a hat, and sometimes he lowers his head to hide his face,” she shared. “But every day, I remind him that he’s beautiful, that being different is beautiful, and that it’s perfectly okay to be different.”
“I try to comfort him as much as possible, but honestly, I’m really scared about him starting school. There will always be some kids who aren’t kind,” Brittany admitted.
She now hopes to raise awareness about the impact bullying can have on children with facial differences, and she wants Ryder’s story to encourage people to be more thoughtful and compassionate toward those who look different.
It’s important that we teach children not to judge or isolate those who look different, and instead to show kindness—so kids like Ryder can enjoy the happy, fulfilling lives they deserve.
Please share this story to send your support to Ryder and remind him that he is truly beautiful, inside and out.