Tom Hanks Sends Sweet Gift To Bullied Australian Boy Named 'Corona'

Tom Hanks sent his new Australian pal a beloved typewriter as a gift

According to multiple Australian news networks, beloved actor Tom Hanks surprised an 8-year-old boy with a gift after learning he was being bullied at school, partly because his name is Corona. Hanks basically wanted this little boy to know that he had a friend in him — cue the waterworks.

Hanks and Rita Wilson were staying in Australia earlier this year when they tested positive for COVID-19, and remained there throughout their recovery and 14-day quarantine afterward. It all started when the boy, Corona De Vries, wrote to Tom and his wife Rita Wilson after they were diagnosed.

“I heard on the news you and your wife had caught the Coronavirus,” Corona wrote according to Channel 7 News. “Are you ok? I love my name but at school, people call me the Coronavirus. I get very sad and angry when people call me this.”

Tom Hanks is gonna Tom Hanks (meaning give us a million reasons to validate our love for him), so he replied to the letter with a special gift.

“Your letter made my wife and I feel so wonderful,” Tom wrote to the boy. “Thank you for being such a good friend. Friends make their friends feel good when they are down. I saw you on TV, even though I was back in the USA already—and all healthy. Even though I was no longer sick, getting your letter made me feel even better.”

Tom gave little Corona his Corona-brand typewriter — a typewriter he’s previously shared on Instagram.

“I thought this typewriter would suit you,” Hanks continued. “I had taken it to the Gold Coast, and now, it is back – with you. Ask a grown-up how it works. And use it to write me back.”

BRB, sobbing forever.

After he and Wilson recovered, Hanks shared a special update on the couple’s health and reminded everyone to take social distancing seriously.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9qBEyjJu4B/?utm_source=ig_embed

“Sheltering in place works like this: You don’t give it to anyone — You don’t get it from anyone. Common sense, no?” he wrote. “Going to take awhile, but if we take care of each other, help where we can, and give up some comforts… this, too, shall pass. We can figure this out.”