Will Smith gives PS5 to teenager with leukemia

Will Smith (right) gave Aidan Yielding a PS5. Images: screengrab from YouTube/Snapchat, AFP/Charly Triballeau

In one of the most pleasant early holiday surprises, Will Smith gifted a cancer-stricken 14-year-old boy with Sony’s recently released console, the PlayStation 5 (PS5).

The Hollywood star gave the said PS5, among other gifts, to Aidan Yielding and his father, Chuck, through the “Will farom Home Holiday Special” video released by Snapchat on YouTube on Dec. 14.

Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the heartwarming story of Chuck and Aidan became known after videos of Chuck dancing at a hospital parking lot for his son who is confined went viral.

“Because of the COVID-19 restrictions, Chuck wasn’t allowed to be in the hospital with his son for his chemotherapy,” Smith explained in the video.

“Every Tuesday, you’ll find a dad dancing in the Cook Children’s parking lot just to brighten his son’s tough day,” he added.

To treat the father-and-son duo, Smith, joined by singer-dancer Jason Derulo, got in contact with them to share the holiday spirit.

Through a video call, Derulo taught Chuck and Aidan some new dance moves as Smith tried to dance along. To finish their call, Smith asked the father-and-son duo to open the box he sent them, which contained the PS5.

The PS5, along with other freebies, was given to Aidan and Chuck in cooperation with electronics company GameStop.

The said company and Smith himself also donated $5,000 each to the Cook Children’s Medical Center in Texas, USA, “in honor of the love you guys are putting into this world.”

“It is beautiful to see your parenting, your child. But your parenting, all of us, you’re teaching us all how it’s supposed to be,” Smith added.  /ra

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