A Facebook message posted by a mother helped her give her 30-year-old son suffering from Down Syndrome the best birthday gift to date--30,000 postcards sent by different people ranging from family friends to virtual strangers who all wished him well on his special day.
Jacqueline Parisseux, the mother of the 30-year-old Manuel or 'Manu', thought of seeking the help of her husband's friends to make the birthday of her son special. Using the Facebook account her husband, Lucien, she posted an appeal to all 24 friends listed on the social network. The message was posted on Lucien's Facebook account on November 3:
"Hello to all. I have a request to make of all of my Facebook friends: My son Manuel is going to be 30 years old on 11/22/14. He loves getting postcards. My son has Downs Syndrome. I'm coming to you to ask that you to take a few minutes of your time to send him a little card and to pass this information on to your friends so as not to stop my chain. Thank you to all of you for your gesture that will make my Manu super happy."
Upon posting the message, Jacqueline and Lucien's appeal went viral and was shared 120,000 times. Due to the intense response of the social media users, Facebook even ordered the account of Lucien to be shut down as the website assumed that the post was an advertising scam. The automated shut down did not deter Jacqueline from reaching out to people for her son's birthday. She then created a new account under her maiden name and reposted the appeal. This move ensured that her message continuously got across as many users as possible.
However, the massive response became more tangible as the family's home in Calais, France was soon flooded with approximately 30,000 cards sent by virtual strangers. The 30-year-old reportedly received cards from people around the world, which included senders from Russia, Taiwan, Australia, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, US, and Dubai. Some well-wishers even sent 'Manu' cakes and chocolates, as well as trinkets, to help brighten his birthday.
According to Jacqueline, the extent of the Facebook post's effect "overwhelmed" the family. She claimed that they had not anticipated that the message "would provoke a phenomenon of this breadth". Jacqueline went on to describe the entire affair "beautiful" and "magnificent".
"We would never have imagined the impact that a simple internet message could have in a few days," Jacqueline shared. "We are surprised by this outpouring of generosity and messages of support and kindness. The world is not indifferent after all," Manu's mother added.
