(LEX 18) — After video of a 12-year-old boy being repeatedly hit by an older girl on a school bus last week spread, people in Clark County started coming together to show their support.
On Tuesday, LEX 18's Leigh Searcy caught up with the boy's mother and learned that the family has heard from hundreds of people "from all walks of life." They all have one goal – to show 12-year-old Beau Baker that Clark County has his back.
"I truly can't even put it into words," said Kaycee Martin, Beau's mother.
On top of multiple visits, calls, and messages, people have given gifts, and a GoFundMe for him has raised nearly doubled the goal amount.
Martin said she's been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity shown to Beau. From students at George Rogers Clark and other schools wearing blue, Beau's favorite color – to total strangers like Tabitha Ashbrook collecting donations for a gift any 12-year-old would love.
Video shared with LEX 18 shows the moment that Ashbrook watched Beau open the gift – a new Nintendo Switch and multiple games to go with it.
"You know, you didn't ask for that," Ashbrook tells Beau in the video. "So we wanted to let you know, again, it's not your fault."
The support of strangers has made a difference, Martin said.
"He hasn't always been accepted, and then for him to be able to see so many people, like, you know, 'you go, Beau,' or 'we love you,' or 'we're right behind you,' that in itself has made his confidence go up," Martin said.
The physical wounds Beau got in the attack are still healing, but Martin said the scars you can't see will take the longest to heal.
"He's okay as long as he's busy, but the trauma of this is embedded deeply," she said. "He wakes up screaming and crying with nightmares, and he doesn't want to be further than a foot from me."
Martin hopes that all the good will outweigh the bad.
"The community getting together, I'm proud of it," Martin said. "I'm proud that the community can come together from all walks, you know? Just sitting there and saying 'this was wrong.'"
Martin said she plans to go to the next school board meeting in Clark County and call for stricter policies around bullying.
