Messiah is my 15-year-old son, and he is truly a light in our family. He is on the autism spectrum and has a heart full of joy and wonder. Messiah absolutely loves everything about the Cars 2 movie from Disney—Lightning McQueen and Mater are his favorites—and he carries his Paw Patrol friends everywhere he goes. He has a big imagination, says Chris Brown is his best friend, and lights up any room with his singing and dancing. Michael Jackson is another one of his heroes, and he never misses a chance to show off his moves.

Messiah is a junior in high school, and after some difficult experiences at his charter school, I made the decision to homeschool him so he could learn and grow in a loving environment. Despite the challenges, Messiah continues to inspire us every day with his resilience and happiness. His 16th birthday is coming up on February 22, and it’s all he can talk about lately! He dreams of going to Disney with his younger brother, whose birthday is just a few days later, and spending time at the beach. Messiah keeps asking to stay at the Disney Cars hotel, but since there isn’t one in California, I plan to rent an Airbnb and decorate it with all things Cars Disney to make his wish come true.

After a video of Messiah sharing his birthday wishes went viral, people from all over the world reached out, wanting to help. Unfortunately, Cash App suspended our account after a few payments, so we’re turning to GoFundMe to give the community a way to support Messiah. If you feel moved by his story and want to help make his 16th birthday unforgettable, any support is deeply appreciated. Thank you for being part of this journey and for showing Messiah how much he is loved.