A local boy received the gift of kindness on his birthday this year.

Envelopes of every color and size overflowed Deana Pendley’s mailbox Easter weekend. Her son, JT, turned 12 years old. She, along with her son, was overwhelmed.

“It was just special,” Pendley said.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, JT Pendley was unable to have a birthday party this year. This meant there would be no family and friends coming over to celebrate.

Pendley didn’t want her son to be upset, so she made a request. Posting on her Facebook page, she asked family and friends to send JT cards for his birthday. She put out the request, not knowing just how many cards he would get.

“I stopped counting after 100,” Pendley said.

Pendley told her son he would be receiving mail for his birthday and he constantly checked the mailbox, hoping to see the carrier. She said he exclaimed every time he opened it and found cards.

“He was just so overwhelmed with it,” Pendley said. “He would be sitting and waiting on the mail carrier. He knew it was coming, he just didn’t know what.”

Family and friends weren’t the only people sending him cards. He received cards from his teachers at Lipsey Elementary, strangers, local businesses and even received a couple of letters from old classmates of his mom’s.

“It was something positive, not just for us but for the people sending the cards,” Pendley said. “We were amazed at how many people sent cards.”

The family also had people drive by and wish JT a happy birthday from their cars as he stood in the front yard, surrounded by a birthday sign setup.

Pendley didn’t know the words to describe the kindness shown to her son during this time of uncertainty.

“I don’t know how to put it into words, it was just special,” Pendley said.

Her son received well over 100 cards and even had people drive by and drop them off personally.

All she knows is that this was a birthday her son will never forget.

 

Story by Gracie Byrne