A tragic story, for sure. Jayden Hayes lost both of his parents — years apart from each other. This young orphan is just six years old. First lost his dad when he was four. Then years later, his mom passed away suddenly in her sleep.
“I tried, and I tried to get her awake,” Jayden recalls that terrible, life-changing morning.”But, I couldn’t.” While heartbroken, Jayden normalizes death by stating, “Anybody can die. Anybody.”
Jayden is making the world a better place — despite his grief
Produced by CBS Sunday morning, the video description reads, “Jaden Hayes, who lost both parents at a young age, was sick and tired of seeing everyone else sad all the time, so the six-year-old devised a plan to change that. Steve Hartman profiles the young Georgia boy who believes a smile is the best medicine for people who feel sad.”
This kid is not letting it define him — but not in a way you’d ever expect. Little Jaden is now living with his aunt who is helping him on his new mission — making the world a better place.
Jayden shared with his aunt, now guardian, that he was sick and tired of seeing everybody sad all of the time. And, he had a plan to fix it. “And, that’s where the adventure began,” recalls Jayden’s aunt. Jayden wanted to buy a bunch of little toys to give away to people.
“I’m trying to make people smile,” exclaims Jayden. He targets people who aren’t already smiling and hands them a rubber duckie or a dinosaur to brighten their day. Some smile. Some shed tears of joy. Almost everyone cannot believe that this young boy spreads joy despite his own tragic story.
“It’s like sheer joy came out of this child,” his aunt shares. “And, the more people he can make smile — the more his light shines.”