Mother Grieving Over Son’s Loss Gets Memorable Gift From Reddit

“Cause I am a poor, wayfaring stranger, traveling through this world alone.”

Oklahoma mother Angela McElhiney is still grieving after recently losing her teenage son Nathan James to suicide. She took to the internet to try and improve the audio quality of a video of the teen performing “Wayfaring Stranger.”

And Reddit delivered in a big way.

“Nathan attended Ardmore schools his whole life and was currently a sophomore at Ardmore High School,” read his obituary. “He was ranked first in his sophomore class. He enjoyed participating in Drama Club, Debate Club, and at The Brass Ring, performing and singing with the Broadway Kids. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church where he worshiped and volunteered.”

This past October, 15-year-old McElhiney took his own life, just a month before his 16th birthday.

darling , you will be missed . ill always carry you in spirit. fly high my angel ? #neverforgetnathan pic.twitter.com/KCTbHZ6L8v

— melàni (@ohkaymell) October 10, 2016

On YouTube, his mother uploaded footage of him performing at school, but the sound quality was poor. She shared the video on Reddit, looking for tips or a referral to a service that could help.

However, Reddit took it upon themselves to offer words of kindness and condolences. They also edited a bunch of versions to save her the trouble.

“There were a lot of people who said ‘I don’t really know what I’m doing, but here’s my best shot at it,’” the mother told CNN.

Hopefully Reddit’s act of kindness is another step towards more suicide awareness.

“I never expected so much kindness and so many people taking time out of their day,” McElhiney said. “We can’t express our gratitude enough.”

An average of 121 suicides occur daily, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

If you or a loved one is having thoughts of suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or seek help online.

And if your school doesn’t already have a program to raise awareness, consider starting one or sparking the idea.