Glenn Buratti from Osceola County, Fla. turned six in January. His mother Ashlee Nighswonger Buratti invited 16 kids from his class to his birthday party but none of them showed up. heartbroken, his mother sought help on Facebook.
Glenn has mild autism and epilepsy. His mother threw him a party on his sixth birthday only to be surprised that the invited guests ignored it, so she posted on a closed local Facebook group, Buzz Feed has learned.
"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,"
After that Facebook post, 15 kids and their parents from the area turned up. Moreover, with the parents and kids are police officers and firefighters from the community arriving to the house with birthday presents for Glenn.
Crews from the Sheriff's Office and Osceola County Fire Rescue gave Glenn the superstar treatment.
On Feb. 12, the boy's father John Buratti took to Facebook to thank the surprise guests.
"Huge thank you to Osceola County Sheriff's Department, Osceola County Fire Rescue and Frank who owns Koffee Kup for coming to our house today for my son Glenns Birthday," the father wrote along with the birthday party's photos.
Meanwhile, with increasing autism spectrum rates, Florida Atlantic University's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) is offering to directly assist people with autism and similar disabilities and their families.
"Problem behaviors are likely to become pronounced in the absence of early intervention," CARD executive director Jack Scott recently told Sun Sentinel.