Everyone included at Unbirthday Party held in Brantford

It was the very best birthday party: Batman was there, along with motorcycles, games and loot bags, a train to ride, dancing and art projects.

And the best part was that everyone was invited.

The ‘Unbirthday Party’ – a bash for anyone who needs a community of friends – returned to Mohawk Park Saturday welcoming several hundred children and their families.

Medically complex little Samara Kyle was whirled about in the arms of Batman, forgetting about her seven heart surgeries.

“She’s loving the party,” said her mom, noting that Samara is hitting a milestone with her upcoming fifth birthday next month as only 60 per cent of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome survive to that point.

Others at the party were in wheelchairs, using sign language or wearing “Autism is my Super Power” T-shirts. Some were simply new to the community. Most had experienced the feeling of being left out of birthday invitations and gatherings.

“We’ve never celebrated my kids’ birthdays with parties because we don’t have families here,” said Nayomi Theverapperuma, who brought her four children to the park.

“We normally go out and buy a gift they like but they say ‘Why don’t we have birthdays like other children?’”

So Saturday was a big day for Therverapperuma’s daughter, Dilushi, because it was her actual birthday and she fell in love with a kinetic sand play area.

Nicole Callander, the founder of the Unbirthday Party in 2018, said while the event began as a welcome to those with developmental delays or targets of bullying, it’s fully inclusive to newcomers and anyone struggling with social connections.

Parties now are held in multiple communities but Callander said Brantford, where they began, is the “most welcoming” one.

“We have some families who drove three hours just to come to a birthday party so it means a lot to people.”

Callander said all kids need to be celebrated and see they are worthy of that attention.

“And the community needs to see how amazing our friends are. I don’t think people mean to exclude them – I think they just avoid them because they don’t understand their medical needs or how to communicate or play with them.”

Callander said the best result of the event would be to not need it anymore.

“It would be amazing if our community could see our friends have feelings just like us, have fun just like us and are the more unconditionally loving friends you could have, and invite them into community events.”

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