Do you remember your childhood best friend? Whether or not you’re still pals or have grown apart, you probably remember the bond you had with that person: how you celebrated birthdays; spent the summers; and navigated an ever-going world together. Rush Monday and Quinton Neal are second graders who exemplify this special relationship; the two are inseparable. They are so close, in fact, that they say they’re twins, or “brothers from another mother.” (The prove this, they will often dress alike.)
As if there was any doubt of their friendship, Rush and Quinton have shown that they are with each other through good times and bad.
A Terrible Turn of Events
In October, Rush, his mom Tara, and his sister were driving and suffered a bad car accident. “It was kind of bad weather here… And all of a sudden, a car crossed the center line and hit us head-on,” Tara recalled. “It was the scariest moment of our lives. And Rush was injured the worst out of all of us.”
After the accident, the Mondays were taken to a hospital, where it was revealed that the boy had to be rushed into surgery—he had internal bleeding. “Rush was feeling very scared and sad and defeated,” his mom explained. “He’s only 7. He was in a lot of pain. And he didn’t want to move, he did not want to get up and walk.”
The Power of Friendship
Rush was feeling bad after the accident. After all, he was stuck in a hospital room—the last place a young kid wants to be. But when he learned that Quinton was coming to visit, his mood changed. “’When Quinton comes, I’ll get up and walk,'” Tara said.
Quinton and his family came to the hospital and Rush made good on his promise to his mom. The boy got out of his bed and with his best friend by his side, the two walked down the hospital hallway. In a video taken by Rush’s family, it shows him, slightly hunched over and clearly in some pain, with Quinton right next to him. Quinton is patient and it’s clear that his presence is a comfort to Rush as he learned to walk again.
The Response Goes National
The video of Rush’s difficult journey—and the enduring power of his friendship with Quinton—has warmed hearts across America. During a time in which white supremacists feel energized and comfortable spouting their hatred, and unarmed black men are being killed by police, these boys remind us to practice the love and acceptance that children exercise every day.
“They don’t see in size difference, they don’t see in color differences. We don’t see like that,” Monday said. “And we want Rush and Quinton just to show the world, ‘Hey, it doesn’t have to stop when you’re seven and eight. It can be like this all the time.'”
Watch the story of these two adorable kids here:
Photo credit: Tara Monday
