The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has praised the Late Late Toy Show star, Adam Kind in a recent state of the Union report.
The 6-year-old stole the hearts of the Irish nation when he appeared on the annual Christmas special with Ryan Tubridy, and it seems his message of hope during the pandemic reached many across the continent.
Von der Leyen listed the Cork boy’s famous virtual hug as one of the highlights of 2022, as she looked back on a year of achievements across Europe.
READ MORE: Where is RTE Toy Show star Adam King now
From standing with Ukraine, going green, and overcoming the pandemic, nestled in the EU's list of notable moments is a little boy from Youghal who captured hearts with a very important message.
Looking back on how the EU responded to challenges, Von der Leyen said the Toy Show star's symbol of hope during a time of crisis "helped us to collectively heal" as we pushed through the pandemic.
Commenting on the "re-opening of Europe and the World," the Commission said: "In 2020, the 6-year-old Adam King from Ireland, who suffers from a brittle bone condition, decided he wanted to send a virtual hug around the world as a symbol of hope during the coronavirus pandemic. His idea travelled far and wide and helped us to collectively heal."
After sending the RTE audience a Virtual Hug through the TV screen, Adam's message of compassion has touched hearts across the globe. His Virtual Hug greetings cards also raised more than €250,000 for various children's charities and resulted in a special 'A Hug for You' book, which has become a global symbol of hope.
David King, Adam's father, sent a thank you to the EU Commission for including his remarkable little boy in the list and gave a "special thanks" to the Irish at home who supported Adam.
He took to Twitter and said: "Thank you to everyone... for including Adam and the story of his virtual hug as an example of how EU citizens have responded to challenges. Special thanks to Irish people at home and all over the world who connected with our boy's message of kindness."
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