Welcome to Disability Awesome. Each week, this post will feature a person or persons with mental and / or physical disabilities who are doing awesome things! As someone with an disability, I love it when others when disabilities do great things!
Recently, a kid with Autism had a great pizza and birthday party at a pizza place in Gadsden, AL. Rick Karle from NBC 13 in Birmingham talked about this kid on his Facebook Page.
There are some really good people in the world.
People who come to the rescue.
People who make a ten-year-old’s dream come true.
This is the incredible story of Charlie’s Birthday.
Charlie Skinner of Fruithurst, Alabama is a great kid with big dreams.
He may have Autism, but that’s not going to stop him from reaching his dream of owning a pizza restaurant.
And so with his notebook ready, he headed yesterday to Barone’s Pizza in Gadsden.
It was time to pick the brain of restaurant owner Patrick Barone.
Charlie had it all mapped out.
He’d call his place “Charlie’s Pizza Planet”, and serve the best pizza ever to happy visitors.
The meeting went well, and it was time to go.
“Oh”, he said to Patrick as he finished up the interview alongside his mom Christy, “My tenth birthday is tomorrow- and we are the family that booked your place for Friday.”
Patrick smiled as Charlie and his mom departed, and before they left he asked, “How many will there be at the birthday party?”
Said Charlie, “Just me and my mom- my few guests told me they won’t be able to make it.”
As Charlie and Christy left the restaurant, Patrick’s heart sank.
“This kid needs a birthday party. I have to come up with something,”, he thought to himself.
Facebook can be a wonderful thing.
As Patrick posted a picture of Charlie on the restaurant’s page and asked if anyone was interested in attending a birthday party, his page lit up.
Dozens, if not hundreds said they’d be glad to stop by today’s birthday party.
Birthday wishes came flooding in from around the world.
Today at Barone’s Pizza Gadsden a big birthday party broke out.
Three large tables were needed to hold the dozens of gifts.
Local officials, first responders, neighbors and friends flooded the restaurant in honor of Charlie.
A day after Charlie Skinner dropped his head when telling Patrick that no one was going to show up at his party, a party for the ages was held.
A huge gathering sang “Happy Birthday” as Charlie looked on.
Presents.
Pizza.
Perfection.
Will Charlie some day be a pizza entrepreneur?
You never know.
But this much I can tell you:
There are some really good people in the world.
People who come to the rescue.
People who make a ten-year-old’s dream come true.
And that is the story of Charlie’s Birthday.
And from Barone’s Pizza of Gadsden’s Facebook page, Charlie had a great time!
