Someone once said that it’s okay for your house to get flooded, just don’t lose it in a fire.

That’s because flood damage is easier to work around and you can often just clean and dry a lot of your stuff and you can use them again.

But in a fire, that’s it. Everything’s just ash.

Watch the video for the surprise that his classmates set up.

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Video credit: Rumble

And that’s what happened to Daniel Hunt when he and his family lost everything in a house fire. Of more immediate concern to the 3rd-grade boy was the fact that he also lost all his toys. It may sound trivial to us adults but we were kids once and we know just how much our world revolved around toys.

Fortunately, the teachers and his classmates at Philadelphia Elementary School in Tennessee decided to step up. They began a toy drive in secret and just piled on the gifts that they would give to the devastated 8-year-old. Only a week after the fire, Daniel was surprised by the results of his classmates’ efforts.

One of the teachers said, “It was very sweet and a lot of entertainment for the kids. They wanted to keep it a secret so they would walk in every morning that week whispering ‘I have this toy for Daniel hidden in my backpack. The children kept the growing stockpile dropped from Daniel all week. Then on Friday. a teacher sent Hunt on a job outside the classroom.”

Daniel’s reaction was even more heartwarming. “When he came back, we yelled ‘surprise!’ and instead of rushing to the toys, he just held his arms opened and asked his classmates for a hug,” added the teacher. Daniel was so overwhelmed by the gesture that he couldn’t help but cry.

Kristen Wilburn, Daniel’s mom, told CNN, “It was a kitchen fire. Not sure how it happened we found some bits and pieces that were salvageable but nothing else made it. Daniel has been in awe of how many people have been willing to help us without being asked.”

Despite having lost most of their material possessions, Daniel and his family are still fortunate that no one was hurt. They are now staying with relatives as they figure out their next move.

But if Daniel’s classmates are any indication, they show that the world is still full of compassionate people who are willing to give a helping hand without asking for anything in return. It’s especially encouraging that this act of generosity came from kids and gives us hope that future generations are getting the proper upbringing to become responsible and caring adults.

 

Replaced!