It’s never easy for a child with an unusual name. But having “Corona” as a name in this era is especially cruel. That’s probably why Tom Hanks wanted to help.
Corona DeVries is an eight-year-old boy living in Australia. When the Oscar winner was tested positive for COVID-19, the child sent him a note asking, “Are you okay?”
That started a long-distance friendship. In the heartfelt letter, DeVries revealed that his classmates called him “the coronavirus,” which made him sad and angry.
Hanks told the boy, “You’re the only person I’ve ever known to have the name Corona – like the ring around the sun, a crown.” To further lift his spirits, Hanks gave the child one of his vintage Corona typewriters.
“I thought this typewriter would suit you.” After telling him to get a grownup to help him figure it out, he ended the letter with, “PS, You’ve got a friend in ME!” from “Toy Story.”
DeVries was ecstatic. “He said I’m a friend to him. I’m gonna write back soon.”
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