Despite having invited every child in the class to little Glenn Buratti’s birthday party on February 8, not one of the 16 turned up to help him celebrate.
Needless to say, little Glenn, who has autism, was left absolutely devastated by the incident, and his mum did what so many parents these days are doing when they need to vent – she turned to Facebook.
After sharing the heartbreaking tale of Glenn’s disappointment on Facebook, mum Ashlee was amazed at the reaction of the locals in their city of St. Cloud, Florida.
While local parents and kids started stopping by the house with presents and cards, local deputies and firemen also paid visits to help make the day special for the birthday boy.
Speaking to TODAY.com, a relieved Ashlee said: “It was probably the best gift he could have gotten. He was really amazed to see people come together for him.”
Ashlee also admitted that this wasn’t an isolated incident, as she has heard of birthday party no-shows from the parents of other children with autism.
Addressing all those who have experienced similar scenarios, she said: “My only advice is, don’t give up. Don’t automatically assume people will ignore them or push them away. Give people the benefit of a doubt.”
We are so glad that the local community had the heart to save Glenn’s birthday.
