A compassionate high school football team stepped up to make a 9-year-old boy’s birthday party spectacular after discovering that he only had one buddy plan to attend. Christian Larsen wanted to have a 9th birthday celebration at his house in Meridian, Idaho, so he asked his mother for help. Lindsay, his mother, consented and sent invites to her son’s classmates.
Christian has Autism and has struggled to form lasting friendships at school. As his birthday approached, his mother became anxious because no one had RSVP’d or stated that they would attend. “We’ve never done a Christian class party before,” Lindsay explained in an online post. “One year in preschool, a couple of girls from his class came; we kept it really small, and it was great.” Christian has been pleading for the previous few years to invite all of his “friends.”
Mom and dad were in Denmark the year before, so I used it as an excuse to throw a family party. I gave in to his requests this year. We sent out the invitations and waited. I heard from William that many people do not RSVP, but some do. When I didn’t hear anything for several days, I assumed Christian had forgotten to distribute them. Then I heard from one of them. He did manage to get them out. (In fact, according to his report, I believe he interrupted class to distribute them.)
We waited a few more days, but there was still no “yes” or “no.” I know a lot of people don’t, so I was hoping that was all there was to it.”Lindsay attended Christian’s school picnic and saw him engage with several of his classmates, which explained why they hadn’t heard from any of the children who attended his celebration. “At the end-of-the-school-year lunch, Christian was saying goodbye to his “friends” and asking them to RSVP. I observed him conversing with six students from his class.
He introduced himself, stopped, and then spoke. He has worked so hard this year to learn their names, and I could tell he was proud of himself as he spoke to them. He requested high fives from a couple. One of the girls replied, “OK,” and grinned. The others were all lads. Three made no response to him. One just answered, “No.” and another, who was sitting at a picnic table next to us, initially ignored him and then, after Christian didn’t take the message and asked again, said, “Maybe.”
Christian was also ignored by his parents. I was expecting that given the end-of-year turmoil, the invites would be overlooked. However, after witnessing the personal connections, I believe there is more. The most difficult part is that I understand. It can be difficult to befriend someone who has had outbursts and sobbed in class. It’s difficult when you tried at the beginning of the year and he kept wandering off in the middle of the game.”
While only one girl in Christian’s class confirmed her attendance, his mother remained upbeat and thankful.”I’m overjoyed and appreciative for the one female who will be there. “We’ll throw a fantastic party,” she promised.When one of the Larson family’s friends, Blythe Ben-David, learned of Christian’s approaching birthday party’s low attendance, she contacted Dan Holtry, another friend who coached the football team at Nampa High School in Idaho.
Blythe informed him of Christian’s birthday dilemma and asked if there was anything he could do to assist.”He has always been a great guy, a genuine guy with a big heart,” Blythe explained. “I knew if anyone could help, it would be Dan.” Dan asked his squad whether they wanted to go to Christian’s birthday celebration, and the guys excitedly agreed. “The players jumped at the opportunity,” Dan explained. “They were eager to celebrate with Christian.”
They were fully committed within seconds of receiving a text message. There was no hesitancy.” As Christian’s birthday approached, a few classmates and a couple neighborhood kids arrived, and the Nampa High School football team arrived, high-fived Christian, and stayed with him and the other kids throughout the celebration.”Today was a day filled with all of the feelings,” Lindsay explained. “I can’t thank everyone enough who made it all possible.” After my initial post about Christian’s birthday, a buddy from Texas contacted me.
Her thoughtful initiative resulted in a birthday miracle. Her husband played college football with a guy who now coaches a high school football team in the town where we reside. She phoned him, and before I knew it, Coach Dan was contacting me, asking if he could attend the party with some of his finest players.” “I’ll confess, I was a little apprehensive at first. What if Christian didn’t react appropriately? We didn’t need to make a huge deal out of the party.
We could have a good birthday without a large crowd. And, frankly, a lot of my uncertainty stems from my wish not to draw attention to myself, my family, or become ashamed. It’s like saying, “Why try to fit in when you’re made to stand out?” So, I’d like to live my life without drawing attention to myself. But then I got over myself and enthusiastically accepted, since if the community wants to get together and honor Christian, who am I to stand in the way?
It was a wonderful experience to be a part of.” “The coach and players arrived halfway through the party. Christian was blissfully unaware of the approaching vehicles and uniformed players. Christian was surrounded by individuals who cared for him. Finally, a few students from his class, a couple from the neighborhood, and a few family friends arrived. I led everyone out into the backyard. It was incredible to watch them.
Those High School seniors stayed till the party was over. They interacted with every child. They played games, got down on the tiny kids’ level, and got everyone involved. Even my Christian, who is not naturally athletic, was running “touchdowns!” Children requested autographs. The players were eager to see the gifts being opened. They all sung to him and stood there watching him blow out his candles. There is a lot of good in the world, and when circumstances are tough, the good shines even brighter.”