Glenn Buratti invited all 16 of his kindergarten classmates to his birthday party. But imagine how the 6-year-old, who is autistic, felt when nobody responded to the invitation or showed up. His mother, Ashlee, later told ABC News: “He was so devastated when he realized no one was coming to his birthday party that he
Glenn Buratti invited all 16 of his kindergarten classmates to his birthday party. But imagine how the 6-year-old, who is autistic, felt when nobody responded to the invitation or showed up. His mother, Ashlee, later told ABC News: “He was so devastated when he realized no one was coming to his birthday party that he refused to smile. He tried to hide the fact that he was crying by pinching the bridge of his nose.”
Ashlee decided to turn to Facebook for support. She shared the following understandably emotional post on a local Facebook group called Osceola Rants, Raves and Reviews List: “I know this might be something silly to rant about, but my heart is breaking for my son. He keeps asking ‘when will my friends get here?'”
That’s all it took for the post to go viral and for unexpected guests to start showing up. The owner of the local pet store and her family arrived with a gift, followed by a half dozen other families. The local sheriff’s department even participated in the celebration by sending a helicopter to circle the house and give the party-goers a show.
Everyone who came to the party that day managed to put a smile back on a young boy’s face. And for that both Glenn and his mom are grateful. Ashlee shared that her son does at times have anxiety and behavioral challenges in a social group, because of his autism. But she would like people to keep this in mind: “When you are thinking about something as simple as a birthday party, think about the child who is sitting there waiting for his friends to show up.”
Good for You to all those who cared enough to make a positive difference in the life of Glenn and his mom!
ABC, 2/23/15
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