Schoolboy’s crowdfunding to buy friend new glasses goes viral

Love is shown through actions, so Joaquín didn't want to sit idly by when he saw his friend Josué in class every day with glasses that were falling apart. They were missing screws and other parts, and Josué and his family struggled to hold them together with tape and wire.

Josué's family, who live in Arroyito, Córdoba (Argentina), didn’t have the money to replace the little boy’s glasses.

Unhappy with this situation, Joaquín—who is nine years old—decided to do everything he could to get glasses for his classmate. So he went home, counted all his savings, and gave them to his friend.

Not only that, he had his dad help him record a video asking others for help: "The ones he has are held together with wire and tape. His mom can't buy them since she's out of work," Joaquín told the camera. His dad then uploaded the video to his Twitter profile.

Joaquín's words resonated strongly with the people who saw the video. Part of what makes his efforts so generous is that the money he donated to help buy the glasses were his savings to buy tickets to see his favorite rugby team, Los Pumas, play in August.

Dozens of people decided to make small contributions to buy glasses for little Josué, and the goal was reached in a short time.

As goodness tends to spread, the initiative reached the eyes of an optician who decided to give Josué completely new glasses.

Josué couldn’t believe what his friend had just done for him. He spoke to local news show Arriba Córdoba, saying, "I’m really grateful to Joaquín. Thank you for buying me the glasses. God bless you!" Afterwards, the two children hugged.

Josué's mother, Beatriz, couldn't believe what was happening either. Her eyes filled with tears when she started to explain how she felt:

"I’m very grateful for all of it. He has had vision problems since he was four years old, and it’s been two years since we had new glasses made for him. (...) I was surprised that a nine-year-old boy would make a decision like that. Every time I see the video on a channel I start to cry," she said.

Joaquín's grandfather was also touched by Joaquín's gesture. "Joaquín's heart is incredible. There are few people who do things like this, especially a child. I have no words to thank him," he said emotionally.

For Debora, Joaquín's mother, her son's gesture speaks of so many good people in the world, even though if we watch the news it looks like everything is going wrong: "Let this be a beginning [of realizing] that the world is not lost and that with something small we can all improve together," she said. 

Although someone ended up donating the glasses directly, the money that was raised will not go to waste.

As more has become public about Josué's case, it has been revealed that the little boy will need to change the prescription for his glasses from time to time and it’s possible that he’ll have to undergo surgery. Joaquín's father, Gabriel, is going to make sure that his son's friend will not lack the help he needs. "There are going to be a lot of expenses, so we’re going to get a commitment from everyone. Josué will have to change his prescription every so often," he explained.

And what about that rugby game that Joaquín wanted to see? A followup on Arriba Córdoba reveals that even though he gave away his money for the ticket, his dream will still come true. The rugby team heard his story and is giving Joaquín and all his fellow kids’ rugby team members (he’s not just a fan; he also plays the sport) free passes to watch the game. He also received a scholarship to go to rugby camp.