Allyson Seel-Sorenson planned a party in 2015, since her daughter Hallee was turning 18. Balloons, bowling, cake – everything was set. But, when Hallee’s aunt saw the only photo from the party, it wasn’t at all what she had expected.
In the photo, Hallee was in the bowling alley, with a party hat eating her birthday cake, but all alone. None of her classmates came to her birthday party. She was devastated.
The sad photo Allyson snapped was shared by more than 200,000 people on Facebook. As people all around the globe learned, Hallee has autism, but that’s her least defining feature. Just as her cousin Rebecca Lyn says, Halle is “a beautiful young woman who will always have the mind of a child.”
One year later, with Hallee’s 19th birthday coming up, Rebecca shared the photo on Facebook and asked for a favor: she needed help to make Hallee’s birthday awesome.
She asked people to send cards and birthday wishes to make her day. But she didn’t expect her request to go viral. Sorenson’s mailbox quickly got filled with letters, gifts and kindness.
My favorites have been the drawings people have had their children draw for Hallee: the groups of drawings from entire classrooms sent in by teachers, and cards signed by every resident at nursing homes,
explained Allyson.
A woman knit an entire afghan for Hallee in her favorite colors (pink and purple) and two-day mailed it from California. She signed the note, ‘From your adopted Grandma in California.’
I can’t pick a favorite, they’re all so amazing. The cards from parents of kids like mine who just say, ‘We’re here, you’re not alone,’ they mean the world to me.’
Birthday wishes came from all over the world, even from some police stations!
Allyson said Hallee was thrilled to see all the mail people sent.
Even though she functions at a much lower age than her chronological years, she sees her name on all of the cards and says, ‘That’s me! These are all Hallee… Oh, thank you, guys!’
Even though her 18th birthday didn’t go as planned, the next one was overwhelming. It’s amazing to see how complete strangers can affect someone’s life in such a positive way.
