Florida community rallies for boy with autism when no one comes to his birthday party (From KDVR.com)
ST. CLOUD, Fla. — A Florida community rallied around a six-year-old boy with autism, after no one came to his birthday party.
The heartbroken boy soon found a show of support everywhere he looked, WKMGreported, even when he looked up at the sky.
This little boy’s name is Glenn Buratti and his mom tells us she invited his entire class here at Mill Creek Elementary School to his birthday party. He was turning 6 years old! The day of the party though, nobody came.
“To see the look on his face killed me inside,” said Ashlee Buratti, Glenn’s mother.
Ashlee Buratti said her son Glenn, who has autism, was so devastated when he found out no one was coming to his birthday party, that he refused to smile.
Thinking she failed him, she says she turned to Facebook, where she wrote one post about how badly she felt for her him. She said almost immediately, complete strangers started responding. Soon, kids and their parents started arriving with gifts.
Her post also caught the eye of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, who sent their own gift, a flyover from the sheriff’s helicopter.
“One of our friends put him up on his shoulders and Glenn just smiled the whole time and waved. It was amazing,” said Ashlee Buratti.
The county’s gift rolled over to the next week, when sheriff’s cars, police dogs, fire trucks and more all paid him a visit — at the same time.
“At first we got to the stop sign by our house and Glenn was like, the fire trucks at our house. I said, it’s okay they’re here to tell you happy birthday,” Buratti said.
The deputies had also pooled their own money and bought Glenn gifts.
Buratti said the response from her one post on Facebook has almost been overwhelming. It’s restored her faith in her higher power and the human spirit, she said.
“The amazingness of everybody coming together for somebody that they didn’t even know. A kid that didn’t have anybody come to his birthday party. It warmed my heart,” Glenn’s mother said.
It’s been a week since this party. WKMG asked his mom if she’s heard from any of the kids or the parents about why they didn’t come to the party. She said she hasn’t heard a thing.
The heartbroken boy soon found a show of support everywhere he looked, WKMGreported, even when he looked up at the sky.
This little boy’s name is Glenn Buratti and his mom tells us she invited his entire class here at Mill Creek Elementary School to his birthday party. He was turning 6 years old! The day of the party though, nobody came.
“To see the look on his face killed me inside,” said Ashlee Buratti, Glenn’s mother.
Ashlee Buratti said her son Glenn, who has autism, was so devastated when he found out no one was coming to his birthday party, that he refused to smile.
Thinking she failed him, she says she turned to Facebook, where she wrote one post about how badly she felt for her him. She said almost immediately, complete strangers started responding. Soon, kids and their parents started arriving with gifts.
Her post also caught the eye of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, who sent their own gift, a flyover from the sheriff’s helicopter.
“One of our friends put him up on his shoulders and Glenn just smiled the whole time and waved. It was amazing,” said Ashlee Buratti.
The county’s gift rolled over to the next week, when sheriff’s cars, police dogs, fire trucks and more all paid him a visit — at the same time.
“At first we got to the stop sign by our house and Glenn was like, the fire trucks at our house. I said, it’s okay they’re here to tell you happy birthday,” Buratti said.
The deputies had also pooled their own money and bought Glenn gifts.
Buratti said the response from her one post on Facebook has almost been overwhelming. It’s restored her faith in her higher power and the human spirit, she said.
“The amazingness of everybody coming together for somebody that they didn’t even know. A kid that didn’t have anybody come to his birthday party. It warmed my heart,” Glenn’s mother said.
It’s been a week since this party. WKMG asked his mom if she’s heard from any of the kids or the parents about why they didn’t come to the party. She said she hasn’t heard a thing.