MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A video of a Myrtle Beach boy with spina bifida joyfully spotting a Target advertisement featuring another child in a wheelchair has touched the hearts of millions.

“There’s a girl in a wheelchair, just like me,” then 4-year-old Ezra Spinelli repeats in the viral video.

Since Ezra’s mother, Bri Spinelli, shared it on TikTok earlier this month, the candid moment has garnered more than 22 million views and 5 million likes.

Because of his spina bifida, a spinal condition where the neural tube doesn’t close completely or form properly, Ezra has weaker ankles than most kids and uses ankle-foot orthosis (AFOs) and a wheelchair to get around.

“My wife and my son were in Target together, and he wheeled up to this girl who was pictured in front of the kids clothing section, and she happened to be in a wheelchair, and he thought that that was a magical thing,” said Ezra’s father, Nick Spinelli. “And so my wife happened to have her phone near her at the time, and so she just took a candid video of my son in this wholesome moment.”

Now 5, Ezra’s been using his wheelchair for more than a year. But when Bri filmed the moment in March 2024, he was still getting used to wheeling around. Bri believes seeing the advertisement was “impactful” for Ezra.

“We own a small business, so we know not all businesses can have that representation, but to have a place that can afford that, a place that can do that, to have them put in those little details to bring joy to kids like that, that was amazing,” she said.

Bri first shared the sweet moment on Facebook last year, but it wasn’t until she posted the video to TikTok that it circulated among millions of people. The video has amassed nearly 34,000 TikTok comments, and even major brands like Barbie and Dove have chimed in.

For her and Nick, comments from other parents helping their kids navigate life with spina bifida are especially poignant. For Ezra, the scale of attention and support is difficult to grasp.

“He doesn’t understand the number … We’re like, ‘Ezra, seven-infinity people like your video and have been watching it,'” Bri said. “So we’re trying to explain to him it’s a crazy number, and he’s like, ‘wow!’ And he’s a typical 5-year-old, so he’s like, ‘Everyone loves me.’ He’s super excited about all the comments.”

While virality is new for the Spinelli family, Ezra’s parents say he’s always inspired joy.

“We’re just really proud of him … He is the type of kid that, when he’s wheeling around, he makes eye contact with everyone and tries to talk to all of them, and he’s such a bright light,” Bri said. “And honestly, from as soon as he was making eye contact with people and communicating and talking, he’s always brought so much joy.”

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