Two high school buddies in Norman, Arkansas are reminding the world about the power of friendship and how it can change lives.
The story of Tanner Wilson and his friend, Brandon Qualls has gained national attention and warmed hearts across social media because of Tanner’s selfless act. He surprised his friend and classmate with a new electric wheelchair after saving up the money to buy it himself.
Brandon, who uses a wheelchair to get around, has been using a hand-push model for years. The chair was becoming kind of a pain for Brandon as he had to push his way down the halls from class to class around Caddo Hills High School.
“My arms would get really tired,” Brandon told News9 TV.
Tanner says he had been working part-time at a local car mechanic shop to save the money for Brandon’s new wheelchair for the past two years. It was just in the last few days of February that he was able to make that dream a reality.
Tanner presented the new wheelchair to Brandon in front of his classmates — which was a complete surprise for Brandon.
“I feel like life’s a little bit too short to be judging everybody, and you should think more of others than just yourself,” Tanner said.
“He’s just been a really good friend and I wanted to do him a favor,” Tanner said. “I just felt like I needed to do it. … Brandon, he’s just always been there for me.”
”It was amazing for me because I didn’t know what he had done for me,” Brandon added. “They came in and my face just blew up,” Brandon told News9.
“I was just crying everywhere. I was like, ‘Wow I can’t believe he did that for me.’ “It’s been my dream to just have one of these,” Brandon said. “And my dream came true.”
Tanner’s mom, Colleen Carmack told CNN that her son has been uplifted by all the media attention, and smiles when he reads messages people have posted online about his good deed.
“They both deserve the attention because they’re both great and wonderful kids,” Carmack said.
She said she’s not surprised at her son’s behavior.
”Not at all. That’s him. He’s always been about everybody else and not himself,” she said. “We let him know, you get nowhere being mean.”
She said Tanner has “had some bad experiences over the last year, so him being able to help somebody else has really brought him out — being able to know that he made a difference. And I can see a difference in him — like wanting to get out and do more.
“We’re talking about college. He’s had that goal, but he’s talking about it more now.”
Tanner and Brandon have been friends for years, Carmack said.
