When Damien Smith and his family moved from Coquitlam to Salmon Arm, British Columbia, in October, the little boy couldn’t help worrying about his upcoming birthday in November.
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Living in a new town with no friends, he feared he would have to celebrate turning 9 alone. Little did he know, countless strangers around the world – and a special star – would make it his best birthday yet!
The last thing Tiffanie Trudell and Thomas Smith wanted was for their son to feel lonely on his special day, so they decided to bring in reinforcements. The couple secretly put out a call for birthday cards on Facebook, and the response was overwhelming!
Over the following month, they received more than 1,200 cards and packages!
Damien had no idea that people as far away as India, New Zealand, and Norway were sending birthday wishes just for him, although they were getting harder and harder to hide.
By the time his big day rolled around, Damien was surrounded by love!
“Here [are] cards all the way around the world telling you how important you are,” Tiffanie told him when his gift was finally unveiled.
And it gets even better! News of Damien’s birthday surprise spread… all the way to Ryan Reynolds! The Vancouver native got in touch with the family and recorded a sweet message for the young boy, whose jaw dropped at the sight of the famous actor.
“I relate to your story a lot because I also went to a new school,” Reynolds said in the video. “I remember how alone I felt and unseen I felt. … When you feel suffering and when you feel bad about something, you say it’s because you feel like you’re the only one. … You’re not alone.”
To top it all off, Damien got a “Deadpool” cake! Best birthday ever? We certainly think so – and we’re sure Damien would agree!
If Damien didn’t know he was loved before, he certainly does now! Thank you, Reynolds, for showing your fan that he has plenty of people in his corner!
See Damien’s adorable reaction to Reynolds’ message in the video below, and share this story to wish him a happy birthday.
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