8-year-old boy halts traffic to help elderly woman struggling to climb stairs

The future is bright, as long as parents keep raising kids like Maurice Adams, Jr.

The 8-year-old resident of Milledgeville, Ga., touched the hearts of thousands when a video of him helping an elderly woman struggling to climb a flight of stairs earlier this week went viral.

READ MORE: In the wake of Toronto van attack, good deeds surge. You can help too

In the clip, the young boy is seen rushing to the aid of an elderly woman with a walker who is unsteadily attempting to climb a set of stairs on the side of the road. Adams puts one hand on the woman’s back to help steady her, while using this other hand to help lift her walker onto the next step. Once the duo has ascended the flight of stairs, they exchange a hug and the woman, clearly pleased, says something to him.

In an interview with Channel 2 Action News, Adams’ mother, Contricia Hill, said that she and her son were watching the woman and talking about her when he felt compelled to intervene.

Unbeknown to Adams and his mother, a stranger saw the interaction and recorded it. Riley Duncan, a Gray, Ga., resident said he shot the video through tears before posting it to a community page on Facebook with the caption, “Thank God for our youth.”

READ MORE: How to teach your kids to be polite — but not too polite

“I’m like, wow, he jumped out to help that elderly lady. I was so proud and it made me feel so good, and I started crying,” Duncan said to WGXA News. “With tears, I started recording and it was just so amazing.”

He has since connected with Hill through Facebook and arranged to meet Adams to reward him for his good deed. Duncan plans to give the boy $100 as recognition and thanks for his selflessness.

As for the elderly lady, Hill says she had a very sweet message for Adams.

“She told him that he’s special.”