The first time Wallace turned on a shower, he asked if the water “came from the sky”. That was when Carol realized that many of the things that were most ordinary to her were completely new to that boy.
Brazilian actress and presenter Carol Nakamura met him in 2019 while doing social work in the community of Duque de Caxias, in Rio de Janeiro. Wallace was 9 years old, had never been to school, and spent part of his days searching through the trash for things that might be useful to him and his family.
Wallace’s personality made such an impression on Carol that she decided to invite him to spend Christmas at her home. There, she watched him marvel at the toys, the furniture, an elevator, and even an escalator. Shortly afterward, she began taking responsibility for his education and started the process of obtaining custody.
Wallace lived with Carol and her husband, Guilherme Leonel, for years, though he never lost his connection with his biological family. In 2022, at 12 years old, he decided to go back to live with his mother, and Carol respected his decision.
But to her, that never erased the bond they had built. When criticism of Wallace began, she immediately came to his defense and made her position clear: even though he no longer lived under her roof, he was still her son