“Because of Colin’s disabilities, social skills are not easy for him, and he often acts out in school, and the other kids don’t like him,” read the post on the Facebook page Happy Birthday Colin, started by his mom, Jennifer. Colin turns 11 on March 9th. “So when I asked him if he wanted a party for his birthday, he said there wasn’t a point because he has no friends. He eats lunch alone in the office every day because no one will let him sit with them, and rather than force someone to be unhappy with his presence, he sits alone in the office. So I thought, if I could create a page where people could send him positive thoughts and encouraging words, that wold be better than any birthday party. Please join me in making my very original son feel special on his day.”
Reading that, it’s hard not to feel awful for this child. And to totally understand the situation if you are the parent of a child with special needs. Whether a kid has autism, cerebral palsy or Down syndrome, he can lead a lonely existence. We parents do what we can. This mom had a great idea.
The page went up last week, and the outpouring of support has been amazing. As I write this, it has 1,735,835 likes coming in from around the world. A sorority at Indiana University made a Happy Birthday video for Colin. A police department in Texas shared their wishes. People are also sending cards by mail (Colin, P.O. Box 756, Richland, MI, 49083-0756).
I can only imagine how happy all the birthday love will make Colin. The powers of social media are mind-boggling. But I’m hoping for real-life social changes for him, ones that last long after his birthday. Ideally, Colin’s teachers will use this as a learning opportunity. Ideally, parents of the kids at Colin’s school will now encourage their kids to make friends with him and sit with him at lunch—or at least some of them will. And ideally, any parent anywhere reading this will have a better understanding of what life can be like for children with special needs, and teach their children well.
From my other blog:
How to respond when people ask what’s wrong with your child with special needs
Those special need parent OMG moments
Jobs for people with disabilities, and a flash of hope