Daeyr, 8, couldn’t keep his emotions in check when he saw the new bed that was exclusively for him.
Many of us have no recollection of the first time we slept in our own bed. Many of us take this experience for granted, and it’s easy to forget what life would be like without it. Some people, however, have not been as fortunate in life, such as a young boy in Detroit who recently had the opportunity to sleep in his own bed for the first time. His reaction, as well as his journey to this point, reminds us all to be a little more thankful.
Daeyr Neely, 8, had been homeless for several years.
He’d been homeless since he was a toddler, and it was all he knew. His mother lost her job and, as a result, their home when he was two years old. After many years of being homeless, the family relocated to a Detroit shelter. The plan was to eventually receive city public housing assistance, but it was a long road to get there.
Daeyr’s transition into the shelter was not an easy one.
As his mother Dionna explains, the move tested him in unexpected ways. NBC News quotes her as saying:
“He started to have a little trouble in school, once we moved to the shelter. But I explained to him that we had to do this in order to get our own home.”
After some time in the shelter, the family was able to move into their own home.
It was a significant change in fortunes for the family. Despite how relieved the family was to finally have their own roof over their heads, they didn’t have everything they needed.
They didn’t have much furniture or supplies to furnish their new home. Daeyr slept on piles of blankets for the first few months because he didn’t have a bed.
A nonprofit organization got involved to help alleviate this burden.
Humble Design is a non-profit organization that works to end homelessness in cities across the country. They had heard about the Neelys’ difficulties and realized that providing furniture would be a significant way to assist this family in settling into their new home.
That’s exactly what they did. Every room in the Neelys’ new home was fully furnished and decorated at no cost. The furniture was donated by members of the community. Decorating the house was a significant step in making the house feel more like a home.
Daeyr got his own bed for the first time in years as a result of them furnishing their home. Understandably, he couldn’t keep his cool when he saw the big reveal.
His reaction to the new bed was captured on film. The video begins with Daeyr entering his bedroom and noticing the bed. His eyes widen and his mouth drops in genuine shock for the first few moments.
His reaction becomes even more emotional as he realizes that this bed is completely his. He appears to be having difficulty processing this gift, and as it sinks in, he begins to cry. Daeyr covers his face with his hands and turns to receive a hug, his shoulders shaking with emotion.
“Sweetie it’s all for you!”
As the boy continues to cry, one of the adults in the video says something that must have been both relieving and overwhelming to hear after being without a personal bed for so long. Daeyr is crying at this point, and everyone in the room is moved by his reaction.
Things are finally looking up for Daeyr and Dionna.
Aside from the bed, Daeyr was given a slew of new toys and games to play with, including lightsabers. Dionna can concentrate on nursing school now that their housing situation is more stable. Daeyr and Dionna’s lives are now on an upward trajectory, and Daeyr can focus on the little things in life, like sleeping in your own bed.