His mother had no car and was trying to get her family back on its feet. In 2019, a 13-year-old in Fernley, Nevada, found a way to help: he offered his Xbox and yard work in exchange for a used Chevrolet Metro.
The boy was identified as William Rabillo by Inside Edition and as William Preston in coverage of local station KOLO’s reporting. His mother, Krystal Preston, said she initially could not believe he had arranged the gift.
It was a white 1999 Chevrolet Metro. The car was modest, but it answered a practical need for a mother who had been relying on walking and rides from others.
Featured photograph: a comparable Chevrolet Metro, not the family’s actual car. Photo: IFCAR / Wikimedia Commons, released into the public domain.
He noticed what his mother needed
Krystal was raising three children and rebuilding after a difficult period. Without a vehicle, even getting around was a challenge.
“I walked everywhere I went if I was unable to get a ride,” she told Fox 35 in an interview carried by Fox 4.
William had already been earning money by mowing lawns and doing yard work in his community. His mother knew he was working, but the surprise he was planning was much larger than she expected.
He had seen YouTube videos of people giving their mothers cars. He wanted to do something similar for her.
A Facebook listing led to an unusual offer
William found a used Metro advertised on Facebook and contacted the seller.
According to coverage of his KOLO interview, he asked whether he could trade his Xbox or earn the car. The seller initially declined, then reconsidered.
Inside Edition’s April 4, 2019 report, which included an interview with Krystal, described the arrangement as his Xbox plus yard work for a car advertised at $300.
The reporting supports that exchange. It does not establish a precise number of weeks or hours of work.
The seller’s willingness to make the arrangement helped turn William’s idea into something he could actually give his mother.
Photograph source. This image illustrates a gaming console, rather than the item used in the exchange.
His mother thought he was joking
When William told Krystal he had obtained a car for her, she did not believe him.
Then she went outside and found the seller waiting to take them to see it. At the woman’s home, the Metro was there.
Krystal told Inside Edition that she began crying when she saw the car. She had been looking for transportation but had struggled to afford it.
The handover involved the adults, too. Contemporary coverage by WSOC-TV, citing KOLO, reported that Krystal and the seller completed the paperwork. It also noted that the car needed some work.
William had not bought a luxury vehicle. He had helped arrange transportation his family had been missing.
Photo: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. No editorial changes.
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A gift remembered for its purpose
Krystal shared the story on Facebook, and it drew national attention in early April 2019. Her response centered on gratitude and pride in her son.
The account is a look back at that moment. It does not establish the family’s present circumstances or whether they still have the car.
What it does document is a thoughtful response to a need William could see. His mother lacked transportation. He found a seller, offered something of his own, and helped make a used car hers.
The value of the gift was tied to that purpose: helping his mother get where she needed to go.