Coronavirus: Actor Tom Hanks sends letter to eight-year-old Australian boy, Corona, bullied for his name

This week, an eight-year-old boy named “Corona” received a surprise from Hollywood actor Tom Hanks – a letter and a Corona brand typewriter. The boy, Corona De Vries from Australia, had written a letter to Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, wishing them well and telling them about how he was bullied in school because of his name.

Hanks replied, and his letter is going viral on Twitter.

De Vries, from the Gold Coast in Queensland, wrote to the Hollywood star and his wife after they tested positive for Covid-19. The couple were in Australia last month and spent more than two weeks in quarantine.

According to a news.sky.com report, the boy wrote to Hanks earlier this month saying: “I heard on the news you and your wife had caught the coronavirus. Are you OK?”

He added: “I love my name but at school people call me the coronavirus. I get very sad and angry when people call me this."

De Vries received Hanks' response this week.

In a “heartfelt” letter that was shared by many on Twitter, Hanks wrote to the bullied Australian boy: "Your letter made my wife and I feel so wonderful! Thank you for being such a good friend. Friends make their friends feel good when they are down. I saw you on TV, even though I was back in the USA already - and all healthy. Even though I was no longer sick, getting your letter made me feel even better.”

In the letter written on a typewriter, Hanks added: "You know, you are the only person I've ever known to have the name Corona - like the ring around the sun, a crown. I thought this typewriter would suit you. Ask a grown up how it works. And use it to write me back."

The two-time Oscar winner and Toy Story actor even added a hand-written note that read: "P.S. You got a friend in ME!"

Many said this was just the positivity needed amid all the negative news.

Tweep @PhotographixByJ posted: “How beautiful is this … ”

As reported by Gulf News earlier, Hanks and Wilson, both tested positive for COVID-19 last month. The actor was in Australia to work on Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic at that time, along with his wife. Filming was halted and they went into self-quarantine at their home in Australia after receiving treatment at the Gold Coast University Hospital. 

The actor regularly shared social media updates about the couple’s recovery for fans.