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What was the worst experience you've ever had? Can't think of one right now? Well, try putting yourself in this teenager's shoes. 18-year-old Hallee Sorenson lives with autism and had to spend her birthday all by herself because none of her friends or classmates bothered to show up.
Hallee's cousin, Rebecca Lyn, then took to Facebook and posted about how hurt her cousin was and all she wanted to do was be happy and celebrate this special day.
In the post she says her cousin had been excited to "go bowling, have fun, and eat cake and ice cream" with the almost 20 friends that she had handed invitations to and was "heartbroken and beyond sad" when nobody pitched up.
Also read: Celebs with special needs
Reading this broke my heart and I'm pretty sure it would bring tears to all who have read it. How can people be so cruel? What has this beautiful girl done to deserve to be treated in this way?
Her mom, Allyson, told Buzzfeed that her daughter "is the biggest love bug in the world". She also went on to say: "It's hard enough to explain to a child who understands what's going on, but when you have a kid like Hallee, who doesn't understand and was hurt for the first time in her life... as a parent it was horrifying."
Now people all around the world have shared Rebecca's post asking people to send Hallee a birthday card for her 19th birthday in July. “Hal loves getting mail — this would be the best birthday gift she could ask for,” she wrote. “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 grateful.”
Read: No holds barred
Let's join in the chain and bring about a smile to this girl's face like she and so many others deserve. The stigma that surrounds kids with special needs is very real and it needs to be dealt with. We're all on this Earth for a purpose but I'm pretty sure our purpose wasn't to belittle others and make them feel unworthy of love and happiness.
