Argentine Boy Goes Viral After Sweet Gesture Of Lending His Crutch To Friend At Soccer Game

From one day to another, Santiago Fretes became a sensation on the Internet after a photo of him and a friend at a soccer game in Argentina went viral.

In the picture that was captured by his mother Sabrina Bonomo, we observe as Fretes ---who was born without his right leg due to a congenital malformation--- lent one of his crutches to his friend so that both boys can enjoy a soccer match. This kind gesture has gone viral, restoring many people's faith in humanity.

The moving incident occurred at a stadium in Avellaneda (port city in the province of Buenos Aires), during Diego Milito's last game with Racing, one of Argentina's most popular soccer clubs. Fretes climbed on one his crutched to watch his favorite soccer star say goodbye to the soccer fields.

At the same time, a friend of Santiago, called Yamil, wanted to enjoy the moment but the wall was too high. That's when Fretes lent his buddy his other crutch to hop on so that they can watch together. The wonderful moment was instantly captured by Fretes' mother on her cellphone. The 10-year-old boy and his mother shared the story with BBC Mundo.

"I was watching how Milito was running around the soccer field and saw that Yamil was jumping up and down," said Fretes to BBC. "I gave him my crutch so that he can also watch," he added. Although it's evident that Santi has a big heart, he shared the main reason that encouraged him to do the sweet gesture. "I helped him because he's my friend," he said. "So that he can watch the soccer game and watch Milto retire."

His mother never thought her photo would become a viral hit on the Internet and much less grab the attention of the press. "I never imagined that it would cause all of this," she said to BBC of the image that has made the rounds demonstrating the true meaning of friendship.

However, it's no surprise to Sabrina, as she also told the publication that her son has always had a big heart. "At home, if he has to climb a tree first, he'll do it and then show his friends how to use the crutch as a ladder," she expressed to BBC.

Besides being a soccer player himself, Santiago also practices taekwondo, likes to ride his bike and has already gone skiing in a mountain!