Michael Morones has been in the hospital since last month. His parents say their son was tormented so badly because of his love for the TV show "My Little Pony."
Michael's parents attended the fundraiser at the Aversboro Restaurant and Sport Bar in Garner in shifts so that one of them was always at the hospital with him.
Family members and friends say Friday's event will help pay for Michael's medical bills.
"The family is just so overwhelmed and happy and humbled to have the support of people across the country doing things and showing their support for Michael," said family spokesperson Jenna Wadsworth.
After months of relentless teasing, Michael decided to hang himself off the side of his bunk bed.
"Anytime you get the phone call and hear that this happened, it's going to break your heart," said Rev. Greg Jenks of the Garner United Methodist Church.
The fundraiser was organized by Michael's church. Jenks described him as a special kid with a deep faith.
"He would always seek me out every Sunday," said Jenks. "Always willing to make sure that he spoke to me, gave me a high five, always had a smile on his face. So we're real, real heartbroken that whatever it was that caused him to take his own life."
Cutting off oxygen to his brain, Michael was rushed to WakeMed in January.
Now, he is doing much better. He's stabilized and is out of the intensive care unit.
"The family is incredibly excited about and he has been off the ventilator for four days now and is now out of the room," said Wadsworth. "So we are happy to see that he's recovering."
The fundraiser will not only help with medical bills, but also long term health care.
Once he's able to leave WakeMed, Michael will be transferred to another facility that will help with brain trauma and neurologically rehabilitation.
Click here to learn how to donate to Michael's family.
The family is also in the process of setting up a foundation that will promote anti-bullying and youth leadership.
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