MMA fighterJustin Wrenis on a mission to show a bullied boy from Oklahoma that he has friends in unexpected places.The heavyweight fighter recently posted an edited video to his Instagram page of 12-year-old Rayden Overbay being viciously bullied at his school earlier this year. Rayden has autism and diabetes, Wren explained in the post. He is also deaf in his right ear.The heartbreaking footage shows Rayden being punched countless times while using the bathroom, and another clip shows three students — including a girl — hitting him all over his body. Rayden is seen putting his hands up to protect himself from the beating.“Rayden was found writing ‘I want to kill myself’ on his forearm in sharpie,” Wren explained in the video.Yukon Public Schools previously said in a statement about the incident that they would not “publicly disclose the [involved] students’ names nor any disciplinary actions taken,” according to local outlet Fox25. The school district added, “The safety of our students is our first priority.”While appearing onESPN’s MMA Show, Wren said he was compelled to help Rayden after seeing the heartbreaking footage, and he started the hashtag #StandWithRayden to bring awareness to the bullying.“If it wasn’t videoed, nothing would be done,” Wren, who has a professional record of 15-2, said on the show.Wren — who operates a nonprofit calledFight for the Forgotten— soon got in contact with Rayden, and even visited him and his younger brother with fellow MMA fighter Rafael Lovato, Jr.“I’m loving to get to know this big teddy bear of a young man,” Wren wrote ofRayden in the caption of a photo showing the young boy wearing the Bellator championship belt.According to TMZ, Wren brought Rayden to a hyperbaric treatment center to help him heal from the injuries he suffered from the attacks at school, which included a concussion.“Been with Rayden over 20 days now,” he told the outlet. “Taking him to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy because he was diagnosed with a concussion.”https://www.instagram.com/p/B3-bK7JhW8V/”Weare organizing something to help him and his family with medical bills and maybe something else really amazing!” Wren added.On Monday, Wren tweeted a link to aGoFundMethat has been set up for the family, which has raised more than $6,000 of its $50,000 goal as of Tuesday morning.With Rayden getting treatment, his family hopes the attacks can be turned into a learning experience, Wren toldESPN.“They want to forgive the kids,” he said. “They need to be held accountable, but [the family wants] this to be turned into a positive. This very negative thing in their son’s life, that’s been going on for years and years, hopefully now it can be addressed, the bullying can stop.”“But this could be a place of shifting for the school district, for all the kids,” Wren added. “Not just their own son.”

MMA fighterJustin Wrenis on a mission to show a bullied boy from Oklahoma that he has friends in unexpected places.

The heavyweight fighter recently posted an edited video to his Instagram page of 12-year-old Rayden Overbay being viciously bullied at his school earlier this year. Rayden has autism and diabetes, Wren explained in the post. He is also deaf in his right ear.

The heartbreaking footage shows Rayden being punched countless times while using the bathroom, and another clip shows three students — including a girl — hitting him all over his body. Rayden is seen putting his hands up to protect himself from the beating.

“Rayden was found writing ‘I want to kill myself’ on his forearm in sharpie,” Wren explained in the video.

Yukon Public Schools previously said in a statement about the incident that they would not “publicly disclose the [involved] students’ names nor any disciplinary actions taken,” according to local outlet Fox25. The school district added, “The safety of our students is our first priority.”

While appearing onESPN’s MMA Show, Wren said he was compelled to help Rayden after seeing the heartbreaking footage, and he started the hashtag #StandWithRayden to bring awareness to the bullying.

“If it wasn’t videoed, nothing would be done,” Wren, who has a professional record of 15-2, said on the show.

Wren — who operates a nonprofit calledFight for the Forgotten— soon got in contact with Rayden, and even visited him and his younger brother with fellow MMA fighter Rafael Lovato, Jr.

“I’m loving to get to know this big teddy bear of a young man,” Wren wrote ofRayden in the caption of a photo showing the young boy wearing the Bellator championship belt.

According to TMZ, Wren brought Rayden to a hyperbaric treatment center to help him heal from the injuries he suffered from the attacks at school, which included a concussion.

“Been with Rayden over 20 days now,” he told the outlet. “Taking him to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy because he was diagnosed with a concussion.”https://www.instagram.com/p/B3-bK7JhW8V/”Weare organizing something to help him and his family with medical bills and maybe something else really amazing!” Wren added.On Monday, Wren tweeted a link to aGoFundMethat has been set up for the family, which has raised more than $6,000 of its $50,000 goal as of Tuesday morning.

With Rayden getting treatment, his family hopes the attacks can be turned into a learning experience, Wren toldESPN.

“They want to forgive the kids,” he said. “They need to be held accountable, but [the family wants] this to be turned into a positive. This very negative thing in their son’s life, that’s been going on for years and years, hopefully now it can be addressed, the bullying can stop.”

“But this could be a place of shifting for the school district, for all the kids,” Wren added. “Not just their own son.”

source: people.com