When Gerald Hamilton was about to turn nine, he got the idea of holding a birthday party where he would invite all his classmates. But what he thought would be a memorable first-time experience, would be one he would rather forget.
Amelia Lara opened up about the disappointing day her grandson Gerald’s 9th birthday celebration turned out to be. She revealed in a Facebook post that twelve of the boy’s classmates had committed to attending the birthday party, and the young boy went all out helping the adults prepare for the event which would be a first for him.
Amelia revealed that her grandson prepared goodie bags filled with treats for his classmates. He even dressed up as a superhero and covered his house with superhero-themed decorations for the special occasion.
Gerald was excited about the party that was supposed to start at three in the afternoon. But no one came when it was time. Soon, it was four and then five, with no one still in sight, but the birthday boy kept on waiting.
His mother, Kristina Hamilton, tried to spare her son’s feelings by suggesting they cut his birthday cake, but the little boy still had hope that someone might arrive and responded:
“What if one of my friends ends up coming?”
Sadly, no one came even though the birthday boy had sent out 30 invites. His grandmother confessed it was heartbreaking to watch because her grandson was just a child who wanted friends he could play with.
For obvious reasons, Gerald was sad. He never had a party before and was inspired to have one after his 14-year-old sister hosted one with her friends.
But what was even more heartbreaking was learning later why no one showed up for Gerald’s birthday, and it had nothing to do with the children.
Why Gerald’s Classmates’ Didn’t Attend His Party
Kristina was devastated for her son, so she decided to call her mother to vent, leaving Amelia’s heart broken. Gerald had initially requested that none of his family be there, but when word got out about the no-shows, he was pleased to see them trickling in.
Wanting to get to the bottom of why her son’s classmates didn’t come to his party, Kristina later called the parents of the children who had RSVP’d. The general answer she got was that her precious son was “too different for their kids to play with.”
In her post, Amelia expressed that what the parents described as “different” had nothing to do with how Gerald carried himself or something he lacked; rather, it was borne out of prejudice.
The Real Reason the Parents Called Gerald “Too Different”
The truth is, Gerald had brain complications, and that was what was “different” about him. His condition meant every three years, he had to have surgery. By second grade, he had undergone five skull expansion surgeries, according to his grandmother.
When Kristin’s son’s community got wind of the matter, he was invited to a city council meeting.
Gerald’s condition made him slower than his classmates in his studies; however, his grandmother said he was still the most compassionate and kind child she knew.
Soon, people picked up Amelia’s social media post, and it blew up! What happened next was beyond everyone’s expectations and more than made up for the little boy’s disappointment.
How Gerald 9th Birthday Turned Out
To make up for the disappointment everyone felt, Amelia decided to turn things around by involving her followers on Facebook in a special birthday treat for her grandson. In the conclusion to her post, the loving, dedicated grandmother revealed her mission to get as many birthday cards as possible for Gerald and encouraged everyone to mail one.
The boy’s grandmother gave her address where people could send the cards and promised to pass them on, hoping she would at least have a few to surprise her grandson with. But what happened next blew her mind, with her stating:
“It just went crazy.”
Amelia’s original message in 2016 was shared at least 2,500 times and by May 2023, the numbers had doubled! The morning after her post went up, she awoke to her first package at the door, and it didn’t stop there!
Amelia continued receiving cards and birthday gifts for her grandson from around the world, including London and Vietnam. She revealed that the items were from strangers, and while Gerald appreciated and liked the presents, his favorite things to receive and what he “loved” the most were birthday cards and letters.
The boy’s grandmother shared how he played with the toys he got for a few minutes before passing them on to his siblings. Then he’d go back to reading the letters he’d received.
Moreover, when Kristin’s son’s community got wind of the matter, he was invited to a city council meeting. Gerald, a K-9 dog lover, was surprised with a birthday party where he was showered with more gifts and a K-9 to play with!
Gerald’s grandmother recalled how completely down her grandson was on the day of his birthday party, but after the outpour of cards, gifts, and the celebration his community prepared, he really enjoyed a happy birthday.
Amelia was pleased because in making her grandson happy, she was also able to impart an important life lesson to him—that not everyone in the world was terrible. She showed him that some people had “genuinely good hearts.”
