The offer sounded extremely tempting: TJ Lyles and his severely hearing-impaired son Gabe were approached by a group of strangers outside a supermarket. The three men, Lyles later told US media, said they worked with the well-known Youtuber Mr. Beast and invited the eight-year-old to a challenge.
He would be blindfolded, then allowed to walk around the supermarket with a shopping cart for half a minute and pack whatever he could get his hands on – without paying for it. Lyles was initially skeptical, but his son was immediately hooked. When the Youtuber’s name was mentioned, his face “shone like a Christmas tree,” the father from the US state of Connecticut told the Washington Post: “One of his big dreams is to be a Youtuber, he wants to be famous. ” And because his son was so enthusiastic about the challenge, he did him the favor.
Father and son both took part in the supposed game – but the alleged challenge turned out to be a prank, called prank in Youtuber jargon. As soon as both had blindfolded and roamed through the supermarket, the men disappeared. They later posted the video online to everyone’s amusement. They had nothing to do with YouTube star Mr. Beast. You can imagine how deeply disappointed the eight-year-old Gabe was.
“I had to tell my son he was set up,” Lyles said. “He was crying, I had to calm him down. He was devastated.” He also told about the sad experience in a Facebook post, which he has now hidden from the public. “As an adult, I should have known better, but I didn’t think someone would be so despicable,” the Washington Post quoted as saying.
But history was yet to take a positive turn. On the same day, the chairman of the local commission for people with disabilities became aware of the entry – and made the case her personal project. The commission quickly found $200 to help the boy. The rep also contacted the supermarket, alerted the company to the story, and got them to double the amount.
And so the following day – a Sunday – Gabe was allowed to take part in the challenge, although it was not filmed for YouTube. For $400 he could choose things from the range: toys, board games, cuddly toys. “I’m so glad things worked out for him,” Tj Lyles told the Washington Post. However, he also draws a personal lesson from the experience: “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually isn’t.”
Sources: Washington Post / WFSB
