A young boy received the surprise of a lifetime from viral TikToker @mdmotivator while selling water bottles, sodas and hot dogs on the street with his aunt in Los Angeles.
Ethan, nine, was selling snacks on the sidewalk when he was approached by Zachery Dereniowski, a creator known for posting videos of himself performing acts of kindness for strangers.
In the heartwarming clip, Dereniowski walks up to Ethan and asks, “How much for a drink?” Ethan responds, saying $3 before Dereniowski asks what other drinks he’s selling. Opening his blue cooler, Ethan lists his inventory: water, Coca-Cola, Sprite and a can of Pepsi.
Dereniowski tells Ethan he’s interested in purchasing all of the drinks. Translating Dereniowski’s request to his aunt in Spanish, she calculates that the total comes out to $54. The influencer asks how much it would cost him to buy all the drinks and hot dogs.
Stunned by his request, Ethan suggests $150. “If I pay that, you won’t work today?” Dereniowski confirms, signaling for Ethan to shake his hand, “Promise?”
He reaches into his pocket and hands Ethan $1,000 in cash, with the little boy informing him that he earns “40 percent of everything.”
Dereniowski then asks Ethan if he likes soccer, to which Ethan replies, “Yeah, a lot,” and rates it a 9 out of 10. Asked whether his father is nearby, Ethan directs Dereniowski to a man sitting next to a telephone pole across the street.
“I stay here because the next week I have to pay rent,” Ethan’s father tells Dereniowski, thanking him for his generous offer. “I appreciate it.”
“But what you don’t know is that I made a promise to your son. We made a handshake,” the TikToker says. “I’m going to buy out all your hot dogs and your drinks if you don’t work today.”
He adds: “Because I have two tickets to the World Cup. We’re going right now.”
“Oh yeah?” the father responds, surprised, as Dereniowski reiterates: “We’re going to the World Cup right now, right now.”
“This is the best day ever!” Ethan exclaims. On their way to the World Cup, Ethan shares with Dereniowski his message to the world.
“Don’t judge people because of their skin color,” Ethan says. “Just because we’re from a different country, we’re all the same. We’re all human.”
The clip cuts to footage of Ethan and his father at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium for the June 28 match between South Africa and Canada. The latter prevailed 1-0 in the first round of the 2026 World Cup knockout stages.
“20 minutes ago, I was selling water,” Ethan declares. “And now I’m at the World Cup for some reason. In my eyes, it’s all a dream. I’m still sleeping, aren’t I?”
He says the experience is “awesome,” saying that he’s “having a great time.”