“Doctor Who” star Peter Capaldi made a little boy’s dark day a little brighter this week.
The actor sent a comforting video message to a 9-year-old autistic child named Thomas, who was upset about his grandmother dying, and was just about to attend her funeral when he got Capaldi’s response to a letter he had written him.
“Thank you so much for your letter. I really enjoyed getting it,” Capaldi says in the video (above). “You see when Clara and I are traveling around in time and space, sometimes bad things happen to us. And you know what, Thomas? Some times sad things happen to us, too, so it’s nice to know some one like you out there who is on our side. And you should know, that we’re on your side, too.”
The boy’s father uploaded the video to YouTube on Thursday, and noted it “helped [Thomas] to deal with his grief in a profound way.” The video has since been watched by nearly 283,000 people.
The BBC star concluded: “Look after yourself, and take care, and be happy.”