TikTok stranger's kindness to young Leeds woman goes viral after "heartwarming" donation for wheelchair

Rylie Passey, 19, suffers with suspected Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the collagen in her body.

The determined teenager has weak, unstable joints that often dislocate or slide out of place - making walking extremely painful and dangerous.

Despite her condition deteriorating, Rylie - from Belle Isle - has had a variety of jobs through her teenage years including as a gymnastics coach and waitress.

As her pain became too much, Rylie started to use a wheelchair and left her work to set up a business from her home making jewellery - which quickly developed a following of more than 100,000 people on TikTok

Using the money she made from her new venture, Rylie purchased her first wheelchair.

However, it has started to fall apart since - with the frame cracking and brakes failing.

Rylie decided to set up a fundraiser page on GoFundMe to be able to get a new wheelchair and enable her to leave the house for the first time in more than a year.

To her astonishment, Rylie said she received a comment on her TikTok asking how far away from her target she was.

When the man - who Rylie said was called Andy - replied, she checked her fundraising page to see a huge donation of £600 had been made.

Rylie said the man's kindness came as a huge shock and was "the nicest thing a stranger had ever done" for her.

Speaking to the YEP, Rylie said: "To have so much room in your heart for somebody you know so little about is inspiring.

"Andy was so humble about it, and he just absolutely warms my heart."

Rylie said she will now be able to live her life again after purchasing her next wheelchair.

She said: " I haven’t been able to leave the house alone in about a year, my boyfriend is like my carer, I can’t go out without him to help me.

"I went from being able to do so many things I enjoyed alone, to barely being able to get to my bathroom alone.

"I started a GoFund me for a new wheelchair, as a friend “@immarollwithit” on tiktok started one to get a service dog.

"She had so much support and I started to realise it was okay to ask for help and support, this is a piece of medical equipment that will help me get my life back.

"I honestly didn’t expect to get so much support from so many people on social media, it has absolutely warmed my heart.

"I get a lot of horrible ableist comments, but the support is just overwhelming.

"Andy reached out by commenting on my video, asking about my fundraiser and how much we had to go.

"After telling him we had just over £600 left to raise, I got the notification that somebody has donated £600.

"It was the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for me."