Children aspire to conform to social norms. They desire harmony. They don’t want to be unique or stand out. Therefore, it can be extremely painful to ignore a child or leave him out while everyone else is enjoying themselves.
Shane Stevenson, the priest, had had enough. They refused to invite his 6-year-old son Reilly to any birthday parties for his friends’ kids. The cause? Autism affects Reilly. That eventually became enough for Shane, who then sent a text message to his “pseudo friends” that went viral online.
Autism prevents 6-year-old Reilly from interacting with kids his own age. However, his parents claim that he is a very happy child who listens and understands.
But not even once has Reilly ever received an invitation to a birthday party. And it repeatedly broke Shane’s father’s heart. Why did Shane’s friends invite all the other kids but never once Reilly when one of them had a birthday?
Shane felt he had kept it in himself long enough, so he sent an SMS to all his friends with kids to let them know how it felt to be on the other side.
«Right, it has been brewing for a long time so here it is, and you can like it or hate it. My son Reilly has autism, he is not a leper, he is 6 years old and those who are supposed to be my friends who also have kids are also having birthday parties. Not one invitation, not even one. Think about it while you go and f*ck yourselves, do you have any idea how painful it is?»
Shane’s wife shared his message on Twitter, and the post became viral all around the world. Shane’s message was shared thousands of times by people who wanted to help him spread the message. Among the reactions were people who wrote: «How lucky he is to have such a father» and «Amazing how a diagnosis can sort out the people you know to 1. Crappy friends, 2. Friends for life … Here’s a tip … The crappy friends are not important».
The mind of a child is gentle. And this post written by a father who is fed up with can help many people understand how a small act can have a huge meaning for a little boy.
