Kid braved the freezing cold playing trumpet for a PS5. One couple noticed — and did the unthinkable
The holiday season is all about giving and kindness, a time when generosity seems to find new meaning. And this spirit of giving was beautifully captured in a TikTok video by @msmaemae812, the wife of Dorian Washington. The couple did something extraordinary on Christmas Eve 2024, which was an inspiring act.
Near Oxmoor Center on Christmas Eve, two brothers stood in the cold, trumpets in hand, determined to spread cheer through music. 18-year-old Sincere Ellison and his 15-year-old brother Carson Bowman were hoping to bring smiles to strangers while raising a little money, per WLKY News Louisville. In the TikTok caption, @msmaemae812 wrote, “This young man was standing in the cold blowing a Trumpet and we asked him what he was doing and he replied, trying to make enough money to buy me a ps5 so we went and bought him one Merry Christmas.” That moment of honesty set the stage for something magical.
Kindness began even before the big surprise. A stranger, Washington first stopped by and handed Bowman $100, a gesture generous enough. But fate had a bigger moment waiting.
“And then he was like, wait right here. Don’t move, 30 minutes and I was just playing everything. I heard footsteps in the leaves and stuff, and I turned around and he had the PS5,” Bowman recalled. It wasn’t just a gift, it was the very wish sitting on his Christmas list. Surprise and gratitude mixed, he found himself wondering, “I was wondering who would do something for a stranger or someone they didn’t know?”
The video of the moment went viral almost instantly, gathering over 3 Mn views on TikTok. But beyond the views, it was more about the emotion, act of kindness and faith that touched people. And people online felt every bit of that warmth. @jesii117l wrote, “he stepped out in faith & was rewarded!” @joshwalker.48 wished, “I hope your pockets never run dry.” And perhaps the most fitting sentiment of all “There are still great people in this world,” added @dj.master.blend.
Even Dorian admitted he hesitated about posting it. “Even before I posted the video, I called a lot of my friends and said, ‘Hey man, I don’t want to post this video. That ain’t what I do. I don’t want to do that.’ They were like, ‘No, you need to motivate other people to go do this.’ And honestly, as we were giving him the PS5, other people saw what we were doing and another person stopped and gave him some money. So, I saw what one good deed does,” Washington said while speaking to WLKY News Louisville.
For him, it wasn’t about attention, it was about belief in something important. “I wanted to show him that there are people out here that would do something for you and don’t want nothing in return,” he shared.
@msmaemae812 This young man was standing in the cold blowing a Trumpet and we asked him what was he doing and he replied trying to make enough money to buy me a ps5 so we went and bought him one Merry Christmas #christmas #tiktok #fyp #itstartsontiktokt ♬ original sound - msmaemae812
More on Amplify
Nearly 200 employees get teary-eyed when kind boss surprises them with $10 million Christmas bonus