Nathan Simons, 9, watched one of his favorite YouTube stars donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to homeless shelters — and decided he wanted to do the same.
"I told my dad a couple hours later when I got done watching the video, 'I wanna do what they did,'" Nathan told WQAD.
Nathan's father, Ethan Simons, said he hesitated at first — thinking of Nathan's future — but ultimately decided such a compassionate act should be encouraged.
"There was part of me that almost wanted me to talk him out of it," Ethan says. "But what kind of lesson am I teaching him if I tell him, 'No, you shouldn't be selfless.'"
Ethan even matched Nathan's donation of $150 for a total of $300.
Nathan contacted local homeless shelters to see how his donation could be put to the best use. Christian Care in Rock Island told him there were a few items they were short on — shoes, gloves, barbecue sauce, and hot sauce.
Nathan and Ethan withdrew the money from Nathan's savings account and went on a supplies-procuring mission at Walmart.
"It feels good," Nathan said. "I wish I could have it myself, but I have to think about other people sometimes."