Gesture of Kindness: Community responds for Milwaukee boy's 10th birthday

Gesture of Kindness: Community responds for Milwaukee boy’s 10th birthday
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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Kind strangers from Milwaukee and beyond are showering 10-year-old Andrew Schmidt with love by sending birthday cards with positive messages and toys after no one showed up to his birthday party.

It all started when Andrew's dad, Aaron Sippel, posted a status on a Facebook page asking for the Milwaukee community to send birthday cards for his son.

The post quickly gained lots of traction. Within hours, Andrew received a stack of birthday cards along with birthday presents. To this day, Andrew's parents said they've counted over 200 birthday cards.

"It blew me out of the water. Completely blew me out of the water. And I had more tears of joy than anything else," said Kayla Sippel, Andrew's mom.

Sippel said the overwhelming kindness moved her after she saw a devasted Andrew, who is autistic, waiting for friends and family to show up to his Packers themed birthday party.

"He was looking at all this food, decorations and no one wants to come to his party. So it hurt. It hurt me in a way I can't even begin to describe," said Kayla Sippel, mother of Andrew.

Sippel, said only four out of the 20 people they invited showed up. That's when Aaron Sippel, father of Andrew, called out for the help of the community.

"So I pretty much went onto the Milwaukee buy and sell page and I just asked you know ' look his birthday party didn't go as planned you know can someone send him a couple of cards just so you know he can feel like his birthday was something," said Sippel.

Aaron Sippel, Andrew's father, said his 10th birthday was an important one since it was the first they'd spent together as a family.

On May 16th, the Sippel's received stacks of birthday cards for Andrew. That was only the beginning.

"The more it happens the better it makes him feel and just, he hasn't stopped smiling," said Kayla Sippel.

She said the gifts and birthday cards keep coming in. Sippel said Andrew anticipates the arrival of the mailman every day.

The Sippel's say they are very grateful for the support of the community and hope they see that the smallest gesture or act of kindness can go a long way.

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