Tom Hanks sends sweet note and typewriter to bullied Australian boy named Corona

Forrest Gump once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” But becoming pen-pals with Tom Hanks himself during a global pandemic? That’s something this Australian kid likely never anticipated. Corona De Vries, an eight-year-old boy from the Gold Coast, recently wrote a letter to Hanks and his wife following the news that they tested positive for COVID-19 while in Australia and, as a result, were quarantined for two weeks down under. In the letter, the boy earnestly asks, “I heard on the news you and your wife had caught the coronavirus. Are you ok?” The letter goes on to explain that the he had been on the receiving end of bullying (at the hands of his classmates), over his name. Although he ‘loved his name’, people at school calling him the coronavirus made him ‘sad and angry’. [video_embed id='1939220']RELATED: The cast of ‘That Thing You Do’ reuniting for COVID-19 relief.[/video_embed] Never one to pass-up the opportunity for a ‘feel-good’ moment (really, could we love him any more?), Hanks replied back to the boy with a letter of his own, as well as a 'Corona' brand typewriter. The typed note read, “Your letter made my wife and I feel so wonderful! You know, you are the only person I’ve ever known to have the name Corona — like the ring around the sun, a crown. I thought this typewriter would suit you. Ask a grown up how it works. And use it to write me back.” Handwritten at the end of the note, he added “P.S. You got a friend in ME!”. We’re not crying — you’re crying. Okay, maybe we’re all crying.

Tom Hanks has befriended an 8-year-old boy named Corona, who wrote him a letter about being bullied for his name. #9Today pic.twitter.com/h7PckxoA4J

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) April 23, 2020

This dose of good news comes after Hanks and his wife decided to donate their blood to help research teams develop a coronavirus vaccine. Since the pair contracted the virus, they now carry the antibodies — making their blood especially valuable to medical researchers. Currently, Hanks and his wife are waiting to hear back if their antibodies will be helpful in developing a vaccine, and whether to not their plasma could be useful to those currently suffering from the virus. On a recent podcast, Hanks joked that he would like to call the vaccine ‘the Hank-ccine’ and, honestly, we’re all for it. Tom, you are a gift to this world. Thank you for making that little boy’s day, and inadvertently, making our day as well.[video_embed id='1930881']RELATED: Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson are back in the U.S.[/video_embed]