Florida mom, Ashlee Buratti recently planned a fun birthday party for her six-year-old son Glenn, who is mildly autistic and suffers from epilepsy. She invited 16 of his classmates, and was heartbroken when not one of them showed up.
None of them RSVP’d, but Ashlee and her husband had hopes that some would still attend. Glenn was devastated, and tears filled his eyes when he learned that none of his “friends” were coming. “From the minute he woke up that day he wanted to know how many minutes until his friends came,” said Ashlee.
Understandably upset, Ashlee turned to social media to vent about her situation. “I know this might be something silly to rant about, but my heart is breaking for my son. We invited his whole class (16 kids) over for his 6th birthday party today. Not one kid came,” she posted to a community Facebook page.
Immediately members began asking if they could bring their own kids over to the party, and the message reached the local Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, who said they would send over a helicopter to do a flyover. In less than an hour a helicopter was flying over the Buratti’s St. Cloud, FL home. Glenn was beyond thrilled.
His mom said that even though Glenn is generally shy, he had taken to his new friends like he knew them all his life. About 15 children and 25 adults showed up to his party, bringing gifts and smiles, but most importantly helping a little boy feel loved. Happy Birthday, Glenn!!
