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9-year-old Sam became a viral sensation after a video of his reaction to getting a new sewing machine received over 2.5 million views. And one of the highlights of his story is his supportive family and how Sam has overcome school bullies and learned to be authentically himself.
Lifestyle expert and our friend Tommy DiDario chatted with Sam and his parents to hear more about his story.
"Sam is certainly one of a kind. He is so outgoing. He's so empathetic. He's so compassionate. He's just a wonderful kid who really doesn't hold back on his personality, and that's a rare and beautiful thing," says Sam's dad, Aaron Gouveia.
As a matter of fact, this isn't the first time Sam has been the center of a viral story.
"Almost four years ago, he painted his nails because he loves bright colors. And when he went to kindergarten, he got bullied for that. At the end of the day when we picked him up, he just collapsed into [his mom's] arms—he was so sad. So, I wrote a Twitter thread saying how unfortunate it was that that happens—how kids aren't born thinking that it's a bad thing for boys to wear nail polish. That's learned behavior and it's a shame. It limits boys in what they can do and think. So, I put that out there and it went really crazy viral and it only snowballed from there," explained Aaron.
As these two stories about Sam went viral, his parents, Aaron and MJ, were praised for how supportive they are as parents. But, according to Aaron, he wasn't always so open-minded.
"I definitely did not start off this way. I grew up in a small suburb of Boston. There was not a lot of diversity. I distinctly remember my oldest who is 14, when he was born, MJ put pink socks on him and I had a visceral reaction to that. I thought, 'They're going to think he's a girl,' or 'Maybe they'll think he's gay.' And I remember she looked at me and said, 'Are either of those two things bad?' And it just stopped me in my tracks. From that moment on, when you know better, do better—and that's what I've tried to do," says Aaron.
"I think it's important for parents to just love their kids for who they are no matter what because if you're not going to be their biggest supporter, then nobody is. As a dad, everything should be about wanting to see your kid happy. If a kid's going to get bullied, I'd much rather Sam get bullied for who he is and being his authentic self. That's really the key for me."
And of course the whole reason Sam has gone viral is his love for sewing.
"It's kind of a family tradition. My aunt taught me how to sew. I would do little projects with her. And hearing the sound of me stitch and looking at the thing that I'm making [is what excites me most about it]. Saying to myself, 'I accomplished something good,'" says Sam.
He makes what he calls "designer bags." "I make the straps, with the pockets. I can't really do a zipper yet though," he explains. He even made one for Rach—how adorable!
"You are too cool for school!" says Rach. "Wow!"
We're SO inspired by Sam's story. And of course, we want Sam to keep on sewing, so our friends at Singer gifted him a ton of sewing accessories. Plus, our friends at Simon gave Sam a bunch of swag and gift cards, including a $1000 Simon shopping card!
Not to mention, Sam also had the chance to give his dad a super cool makeover—with Tommy's help.
VIRAL 9-Year-Old Boy Who Loves to Sew Gives Dad a Makeover
VIRAL 9-Year-Old Boy Who Loves to Sew Gives Dad a Makeover
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