It all started after Instagram user Omer Yavuz clicked and shared this picture of Muhammet.
The Internet can be an unpleasant place filled with nameless, faceless trolls. However, every once in a while it gives you a story that can bring a huge smile on your face. Case in point, this heartwarming story of a Syrian refugee boy in Turkey who has been gifted with a lifetime membership at a gym after a picture of him gazing longingly inside it went viral.
It all started after Instagram user Omer Yavuz clicked and then shared the picture of the boy.
He was later identified as Muhammet Halit, a 12-year-old shoeshiner, who fled the war in Syria, reports Hurriyet Daily News.
"I wanted people to see Muhammet with sandals on his feet in the cold," Mr Yavuz told BBC. "I couldn't sleep that night, because I couldn't stop thinking about his situation," he added.
The Internet worked its magic and who but the one of the gym owners stumbled upon the picture. Mustafa Kucukkaya posted the picture on Instagram asking if anyone knew the boy. He also added that the gym would be free for him for life.
He later shared another post with a picture of Muhammet stating that they had not only found him but also offered him the free membership as promised.
"Amazing deed, much respect," says one Instagram user on the post. "Thanks guys. We all need stories like this," says another.
The 12-year-old says his goal is to lose weight.
"I had always dreamed of losing weight and now I believe I can do that by working out," the 12-year-old told Hurriyet Daily News.
It all started after Instagram user Omer Yavuz clicked and then shared the picture of the boy.
He was later identified as Muhammet Halit, a 12-year-old shoeshiner, who fled the war in Syria, reports Hurriyet Daily News.
"I wanted people to see Muhammet with sandals on his feet in the cold," Mr Yavuz told BBC. "I couldn't sleep that night, because I couldn't stop thinking about his situation," he added.
The Internet worked its magic and who but the one of the gym owners stumbled upon the picture. Mustafa Kucukkaya posted the picture on Instagram asking if anyone knew the boy. He also added that the gym would be free for him for life.
He later shared another post with a picture of Muhammet stating that they had not only found him but also offered him the free membership as promised.
"Amazing deed, much respect," says one Instagram user on the post. "Thanks guys. We all need stories like this," says another.
The 12-year-old says his goal is to lose weight.
"I had always dreamed of losing weight and now I believe I can do that by working out," the 12-year-old told Hurriyet Daily News.
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