An Army birthday surprise for a nine-year-old boy with autism who loves the military couldn’t have been better unless the soldiers who attended his party jumped out of the cake.
Riley Upchurch, who has autism and ADHD, wanted nothing more than to have real life soldiers visit him on his birthday “because he idolizes army and cops,” his mother Jessica Upchurch told Fox News.
Knowing that would make her son’s birthday special, she reached out to the U.S. Army and a group of soldiers responded with a surprise visit to the home in Sacramento, California.
The entire party was designed around the military, with special army-themed snacks and games such as nerf gun combat, which Riley got to play with the soldiers.
The boy’s day was complete when he was awarded a special honor as the Army’s Hero of 2018.
“It was really good to come out and express our gratitude to the children and people that support us,” said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Busse, per Fox News.
“It’s really special to see that the community comes together and that they're willing to help him live a dream that he probably will never be able to live,” Jessica Upchurch said.
The surprise birthday party was reminiscent of one in 2016 when members of the North Port Police Department surprised a boy with autism at his birthday party after all his classmates failed to RSVP.
That would have been the third year in a row that Daniel Nicastro would suffer a disappointing birthday party, but his parents decided to extend a special invite to the local police force, Today reported.
“We weren’t really expecting much, maybe for one or two to show up,” said the boy’s mother Carolyn Nicastro.
When more than a dozen patrol cars arrived at the local park where the birthday celebrations were being held, the boy was stunned.
"He still says it was the best birthday party ever. His real friends, the superheroes, showed up. He didn’t notice his classmates weren’t there,” Carolyn Nicastro said.
Related Stories:
Bailey Sellers' Father's Letter is Final Birthday Wish
Doris Day Birthday Surprise: She's 95, Not 93 – That's a Fact
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.