We all know it takes a village to raise a child, but one mum has shared how an entire community supposedly rallied together to support her young daughter after no one showed up to her birthday party.
Texas mum-of-four and content creator, Lex Fitzgerald, had planned a party at a local burger restaurant to celebrate her daughter Willa's fifth birthday. Taking to her Instagram after the event, the woman shared how her little girl had been counting down the days to the party.
But despite inviting Willa's classmates and friends, less than half had RSVPed 'yes' to the gathering, Fitzgerald said - and she soon realised even they would be no-shows.
"Today finally came and after 20 minutes of waiting, no one had come to the party," she said in a now viral video, shared with her 107,000 followers on Instagram earlier this week.
She then showed a heartbreaking photo of Willa sitting alone at an empty table, decorated for the party that no one had turned up to.
"As a mom, my heart broke for my little girl as she sat there waiting for her friends to arrive," Fitzgerald continued.
"Not knowing what else to do, I reached out to my village and hoped maybe one or two families could come celebrate with us."
She then shared a screenshot of a call-out she'd written to her local Facebook community, the 'Keller, Texas Neighborly Group' - extending a last-minute invitation for local families to join them.
"If anyone has young kids and [is] looking for something to do right now, no one showed up to my daughter's birthday party. It's her first (and likely last) birthday party. We'd love to celebrate with you. At [Hat] Creek, Keller until 1pm," Fitzgerald wrote to the community group, along with the photo of Willa sitting alone at the table.
According to the video, however, Willa wasn't alone for much longer - with the community quickly rallying together to make sure her birthday was one to remember.
Clips taken by Fitzgerald showed the room packed with local families who had responded to her call-out, many smiling, chatting and eating as they joined the festivities.
To conclude the video, Fitzgerald shared a sweet photo of Willa happily smiling alongside bags of presents, clutching a 'Happy Birthday' balloon.
Elaborating in the caption, the mum admitted the community's "magical" effort to come together was "life-changing" for her and her daughter, adding: "Within MINUTES families were showing up ready to share the day with Willa. We went from not a single person at her birthday table to not a single table open at Hat Creek Burgers.
"The entire restaurant was packed with families who refused to let my daughter celebrate alone," she continued.
"I just want to say thank you to all of the people who came today to be with us. You not only showed up for my little girl, but for me as well. You picked me up and encouraged me forward when I felt like I had failed as a mom. Thank you."
She went on: "Today we were so graciously rallied around to celebrate Willa turning five... We figured a small party would be just as fun but 20 minutes into waiting for friends to arrive, I realised it was possible that no one was going to show up.
"I didn't want to have to tell my little girl that no one was coming to her birthday party. Quickly, I thought to reach out to my local Facebook group and send out a so-called 'bat signal' of sorts to other families out there."
The video has been widely shared, with many taking to the comments to express the heartbreak and elation they felt while watching the events unfold. Many admitted the clip had reduced them to tears, with one branding it: "This is heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time."
"I'm so glad your community pulled together and showed up for Willa. What a special memory for her," they continued.
"It was so so awesome to see your daughter smiling today, and to see [the] community rally. It is EVERYTHING," one local wrote, with another attendee adding: "So glad I was able to come! Such a sweet girl and such a sweet time!"
"It was sooooo beautiful to see so many people show up today! I seriously felt my heart swell with such gratitude as no one knew each [other] but just showed up to celebrate Willa and they kept walking through the door! Well done Lex! You made it happen!" a third commented.
"Bless your heart. It's heart-wrenching and heartwarming all at the same time. I'm horrified at parents allowing that to happen to a little girl and I'm so happy that you reached out and those parents who love and care for their children came and made your baby's day perfect. The best outcome and I'm sure many new real friendships will have been created. Happy birthday to Willa, from friends in the UK," one woman weighed in, while another wrote: "This made me cry. How amazing - happy birthday sweet Willa! We [would have] been there if we were close!"
"Those parents better be ashamed of themselves. That's truly disheartening. BUT, a village was needed and a village came," said another.
Even the burger restaurant took to the comments: "We love this so much! We're honored to have been a part of such a special experience [sic]."
Last November, another mum shared her heartbreak on social media with a similar story, lamenting how none of her three-year-old daughter's friends had shown up to her birthday party.
Breanna Strong, from Utah, shared a clip to TikTok that showed the room covered in decorations - and her daughter eating pizza alone.
"There was a planned event on Facebook. Seven families said they were coming and three changed their RSVP this morning and others didn't show," Strong explained. "Not a single one of her friends showed up."
