Strangers celebrate birthday of girl with autism after friends fail to show

Only two children showed up to the birthday party of Remi, 5, a young girl with autism. So strangers filled the seats to make it a date to remember.

"It all looked like it was going to go pear-shaped," said [dad] PJ, 40.

"When she asked her mum where all her friends were, it was heartbreaking. "Remi's autism means you need to prepare her for things. So when her party didn't match what she had in her mind, she was so forlorn. We were sat there on the verge of tears but we thought, no, this is wrong. So out of desperation we sent out that message."

28 kids and parents soon showed up, reports the BBC. The family was contacted by the parents of other children with autism—parents familiar with the challenges of organizing play-dates and group activities.

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