For a mother, nothing is more painful than losing her child.
When Destiny Hayes brought her second child, Wyatt, into their home, Greyson, Destiny’s three-year-old son, and Wyatt’s older brother greeted him with love.
Greyson loved his little brother so much.
Until one day, Wyatt suddenly died of SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Like a thief in the night, death took the healthy and happy four-month-old baby.
Losing her child crushed Destiny’s heart, but she had to stay strong, especially for her son, Greyson, who would often ask her about his brother.
“Greyson was 3 at the time and he was always asking where Wyatt was and when he was coming back,” Destiny Hayes said to TODAY. “Wyatt was just this super-duper sweet baby.”
After his baby brother passed, Greyson started carrying a framed photo of his little brother. That’s how much he missed him.
Time passed and the family learned to cope.
Five years later, Destiny would prepare school things for her Greyson, who’s 8, and Hazel, who’s 3, but she admitted experiencing sadness.
A busy mom preparing two preschool backpacks.
“I never got to hear Wyatt say, ‘Mama,’ and I wonder what he would look like now,’” Destiny poured her heart out in her interview. “I have a nephew who was born a few weeks after Wyatt, and every time he hits a different milestone, it brings up feelings.”
What she didn’t know was that her older son, Greyson, had his own way of dealing with his late brother’s memories.
Greyson was three when his little brother died, but he remembers. He wanted to do something for his brother, and this surprised his family.
Destiny never imagined that Greyson would ask for her help to start a fundraiser.
The little boy explained he wanted to donate kindergarten school supplies, because this year, Wyatt would have entered Estes Elementary School.
“I did it for my brother who passed away at 4 months old,” Greyson told Messenger Inquirer. “I wanted to donate the supplies to help the whole school.”
This big brother organized everything. After raising money, he even went with his mother to check and pick up all the items that would help children who were struggling.
“I’m so proud of him,” Destiny added. “He went and picked out all the stuff himself.”
Aside from doing this for Wyatt, Greyson knew there were children who couldn’t afford school supplies, and he wanted to help them.
The little boy was so happy and proud of everything that he bought.
Last July 21, 2022, Estes Elementary School added an appreciation post for Greyson and his family.
People were so inspired about Greyson’s idea that they wanted this project to be a long-term commitment.
“Nobody likes losing a baby, but if it’s something we can continue to do in his name, we would absolutely want to keep doing this,” Destiny Hayes shared.
Who would have thought that an 8-year-old boy could come up with an amazing idea like this?
Today, Greyson isn’t just Wyatt and Hazel’s big brother. He’s Estes Elementary School’s big brother.
We hope that more kids strive to be like Greyson.
Check out Wyatt James’ Legacy page here and don’t forget to share this touching story.
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