Mateo, an 8-year-old boy from Chicago, originally planned to spend the $23 he received for his birthday at Walmart. While they were waiting at a stoplight, he noticed a woman selling chocolates on the street and suddenly decided to give her all his money. When his mother, Daniela Santos, asked why, he said, “To buy milk for her baby.”
The video quickly went viral, and within days it had millions of views and thousands of supportive comments praising Mateo's little heart. People from all over the world began asking to send donations for the little boy. When someone suggested giving him his birthday money as a gift, Mateo's words were clear: "Mom, I want to give that money to the people who need it most." And that's how what became a larger initiative began.
Daniela, with her son's consent, set up a GoFundMe page to make his mission a reality. She ensured that all donations, 100%, would be used to help people in need: to buy food, clothes, help the homeless or families in need. At every stop at a traffic light, Mateo is looking for ways to help: to buy him a sandwich, to share clothes, or sometimes even to fund a shelter; he already has his own wish list of good deeds for others.
Daniela said her son grew up with the message, "You are special, but show respect in the way you treat others." For Mateo, this act of kindness wasn't a spur-of-the-moment gesture, but a natural part of who he is.
