Can You Help Make This Autistic Girl’s Next Birthday More Memorable?

A Facebook post showing a girl sitting alone on her birthday has gone viral for all the right reasons.

Rebecca Lyn shared the photo on Tuesday and said it shows her autistic cousin, Hallee, last year at her 18th birthday party.

In the post she explained Hallee, who is from Maine, had invited friends and classmates to celebrate her birthday at a bowling and ice cream cake party last July. When no one turned up, she was left heartbroken. And Rebecca is determined that doesn’t happen again.

Asking for Facebook users to send a simple birthday card, Rebecca said:

She is a person who just happens to have Autism. She has never let that small detail define who she is as a person-which is why I refuse to use it as something to describe her.

Invitations went out to her classmates at school and to other friends in the area. Hallee sat at her party anxiously waiting for her friends to arrive so they could have fun….but Hallee’s friends would never arrive. Not a single one.

But you can help make this years birthday incredible!! I would love to flood her mailbox with birthday cards, from all over! Hal loves getting mail- this would be the best birthday gift she could ask for. If you could find it in your heart to take a few mins out of your day and send her a card, I would be forever greatful.

Rebecca also added that the gesture would mean the world to Hallee’s mother, adding: “As you can imagine, watching your child cry into her birthday cake breaks your heart.”

Her post has been shared over 134,000 times in the 48 hours since it was posted, with comments pledging to send her everything from jewellery to flowers.

But Rebecca said a simple card would do, so the Internet listened:

While the thought of Hallee sitting alone on her 18th birthday is a heartbreaking one, the fact that hundreds of thousands of people across the globe have taken to her story is absolutely amazing.

We wish you a very happy birthday in advance, Hallee!