Carter Trozzolo wanted nothing more than to go back to school, but the severe weather in Toronto had other plans.
A massive snowstorm hit last week and dumped over 30 centimeters of snow in the area, prompting schools to declare a snow day.
Nine-year-old Carter, a local third-grader, was one of the students kept home because of the bad weather. But instead of staying inside to play video games or sleep in, the youngster bundled up and braved the cold outside to shovel snow.
“I just like shoveling, I guess,” the boy told “As It Happens” host, Carol Off. “And to be outside when I have nothing to do.”
Carter’s efforts were recognized after a CTV News camera crew spotted the kid shoveling the sidewalk amid the freezing temperatures. But it’s not just his dutiful shoveling that caught the viewers’ attention—it’s also his weary sighs of exhaustion!
The boy, drained of energy, didn’t hold back and told the outlet that his work had been “tiring” and that he’d rather be in school—accompanied by the weary sigh that made him internet famous.
Footage from the broadcast has since made rounds on social media, getting the attention of the Toronto School District Board and American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles.
“Carter- ‘exhausted’ this is gold,” she wrote, referring to the kid’s chyron on the broadcast, which said “Exhausted.”
Rachel DiSaia, Carter’s mom, replied to her tweet: “As carter’s parent, I can’t help but ask if perhaps maybe you *will* write him a love song.”
The city’s school district board also tweeted out a reaction of their own.
“We can’t wait to have you back at school, Carter. Thank you for helping neighbours, friends and even people you don’t know! *sighs*.”
Carter cleared out snow in front of his house, along with the walkway and front steps. He also did the same for at least three other neighbors.
However, the boy didn’t seem too thrilled about receiving no words of appreciation.
“I saw one of the neighbours look out the window,” the boy said, again with a sigh, as he explained that no one had bothered to thank him.
The boy also noted that he shoveled snow for “my neighbors, friends, probably people I even don’t know.”
But DiSaia said Carter’s good deed isn’t about getting thanks—they just want him to be a good neighbor.
“We try to be part of our community in the most useful way possible. So I tend to shovel for our neighbours as well … Carter has been helping out with that for the past couple of years. But he’s reached the age where he can do some of it on his own,” DiSaia said.
As for Carter’s sigh-filled reactions, DiSaia said it’s just part of who he is.
“We live in a dramatic time,” they said. “I think I could serve Carter his favorite meal and I would get a similar sigh … It just comes with him.”
After hours of shoveling, Carter went in and warmed up with a much-needed cup of hot chocolate.
School was canceled yet again the following day, so CTV News went back for a follow-up interview with Carter, who revealed that he was “still exhausted.”
“I’m tired. I am always tired,” said the boy who is almost ‘drained of energy’.
DiSaia believes that Carter’s video went viral because the public found his expressions of being ‘drained of energy’ relatable.
“I think a lot of us can relate to that amount of exhaustion with everything right now so I think he captured the emotions of many people,” they said.
When asked about his newfound fame, Carter said he doesn’t “want to think about it.”
This kid is definitely a whole mood! Click on the video below to watch the viral clip of his interview.
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