Microsoft surprises a thoughtful 9-year-old who gave up his Xbox to help the homeless

In early December, 9-year-old Mikah Frye decided that instead of getting an Xbox One for Christmas, he'd rather use that $300 to donate blankets to the homeless.

Microsoft caught wind of Frye's generosity, Fox 8 reported Saturday, and decided to set up a surprise for him: a limited edition Minecraft-themed Xbox One X from none other than Santa himself.

Frye first decided to give up his own present as a charitable gesture when he saw homeless people outside in the cold around Ashland County, Ohio, when he was with his grandma, Fox 8 reported on Dec. 6. Instead of spending $300 on a console, he could get 60 blankets and donate them to the Ashland Church Community Emergency Shelter Services (a.k.a. Access).

Just three years earlier, Frye and his parents were benefiting from the services provided by Access.

"It was about three years ago, we hit some financial problems, me and my husband and Mikah we ended up losing our home," Frye's mother Sara Brown said. "We stayed there for just a few weeks until we found a new place to live."

Frye's grandmother, Terry Brant, added: "He knew what it was like to not have a blanket at night and have to give it back ... So the first thing he wanted to do is give a blanket that they could keep."

Each of Frye's blankets given to people in need includes a handwritten note: "They gave me a blanket, but I had to leave it. That's why I want you to have your own blanket ... Today, I live in my own house, and someday you will too. Your friend Mikah."

At the Beachwood Place Mall in Ohio on Saturday, Frye's kindness paid off. In a tearful moment, mall employees surprised him with a bag of gifts, including the Xbox One console.