Surprises Keep Coming for Autistic Boy Stood Up at Party

When none of the children from Glenn Buratti’s class showed up to his 6th birthday party earlier this month, local deputies and firefighters stepped up to give the autistic boy from St. Cloud a party he’ll never forget.

News about Glenn’s “re-do” party has gone viral as people across the globe cheer the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue department for surprising the disappointed young boy with a special after-school party a few days later that included fire trucks and a flyover by the sheriff’s office’s helicopter, Click Orlando reported.

The emergency workers were among those who got wind of Glenn’s plight after reading a post written by the child’s mother, Ashlee, following his bitter birthday party disappointment.

“Probably one of the biggest hurts you can have, to see how let down your child is when nobody shows up for them,” Ashlee explained to MyFoxTampaBay about the hurt felt when the party flopped.

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Since Ashlee wrote that post, venting her frustration, strangers and neighbors alike have been dropping off presents for the boy and well-wishers have been blowing up Facebook with messages for the child.

Now, a Pennsylvania woman has stepped forward to launch a GoFundMe campaign to raise enough money to send Glenn and his parents a birthday vacation. The goal is to collect $10,000.

While established by Kiki Gee in Whitehall, the fundraiser is “in the process of being transferred to Glenn’s family,” she announced on the GoFundMe page.

Glenn’s dad, John, has shared the fundraiser via his own Facebook page and seems to be enjoying the worldwide coverage of his son’s story. So far, he’s shared links to reports on the outpouring of support covered not only in the American press, but also German and Peruvian outlets.

As for Ashlee, it’s her hope that no other child ever faces being stood up at his or her birthday party because of a disability.

“They’ve got a heart just like normal kids,” Fox quoted her as saying.

To learn more about the vacation fundraiser, visit GoFundMe online.

Photos from Facebook

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