Brandon Qualls had been using a self-propelled manual wheelchair for four years. Though the equipment tremendously moved around the school, it did not give him the total comfort that he needed.
“My arms would get really tired, and I would have to stop and take rests,” Qualls said.
His classmate and Tanner Wilson, a senior at Caddo Hills High School, somewhere in Arkansas, understood his discomfort and thus came up with a plan to help him.
Though it took so much patience and perseverance, Tanner saved up money from part-time jobs to afford an electric wheelchair for Qualls.
“He’s just been a really good friend and I wanted to do him a favor. I just felt like I needed to do it, and I wanted to do it,” Tanner said during a TV interview.
Tanner persevered and committed himself to a mission to save money for a cause for two long years. Then, on February 26, the teenager was ready to surprise his friend. That day, Tanner purchased a wheelchair and brought it to school.
He told his teacher about his mini surprise. His teacher understood the sincerity of his intentions and thus helped him decorate the chair with a fiery effect of orange flames on the chair’s fenders. For a more customized effect, they added Quall’s last name decorated with the same orange flames that one can find in the back of the headrest.
The surprise was effective. Quall was emotional upon receiving Tanner’s gift.
“They came in and my face just blew up, crying everywhere. Just like, ‘Wow, can’t believe he did that for me!’ Qualls said during a TV interview.
When asked about his intentions behind his benevolence, Tanner shared that he only wanted to put a smile on his friend’s face and make him happy.
“There’s many people out here that have troubles and need a little bit of help,” Tanner said.
Meanwhile, Tanner’s action caught the attention of staff members and administrators of the Caddo Hills School District in Arkansas. They took a snap of the two friends and captioned it, narrating their heartwarming tale on social media. It did not take long for the post to get viral, with netizens praising Tanner for his act of kindness.
“We would like to share some love. Today Tanner Wilson, Caddo Hill’s Senior, surprised his fellow classmate Brandon Qualls with a motorized wheelchair. We are so grateful for the heartfelt surprise from one Indian to another. Tanner has been saving for two years to show his appreciation and friendship for Brandon,” they wrote.
The post quickly became trending and had gained around 3,000 likes and almost 2,000 shares on its first few days on social media.