Six-year-old Teddy Bollinger was devastated when no one showed up to his birthday party Sunday. So now NBA and soccer teams are inviting him to their own celebrations this week.

“We showed up with a huge cake and birthday balloons for everyone. But nobody showed up,” the boy’s mother Sil Mazzini said in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca. “I was sad and I was upset.”

The mother from Tucson, Ariz., had booked a venue at the Peter Piper Pizza restaurant two weeks in advance, had spoken with the teacher and sent 32 invitations to her son’s kindergarten classmates and their parents.

After two parents said they couldn’t make it, she assumed that the others would simply show up like she and her child had done for the other children’s parties.

As a mother, she said paying for all the uneaten food was especially disheartening for her.

“I'm done with birthday parties," she said mentioning that all the time spent organizing only to have this happen was too much.

She shared photos of her son surrounded by uneaten pizza trays and empty seats to a local news anchor Nick VinZant who then re-shared the photos on social media on Sunday.

“If you get a chance please wish Teddy a Happy Birthday. His mom sent me this after his friends weren't able to make it to his birthday party,” he wrote.

Within minutes of his story going online, people flooded the comment sections wishing Bollinger a “happy birthday” and also tweeting messages of support and encouragement.

And in less than an hour, the Phoenix Suns basketball team invited Bollinger to Wednesday’s game where they would be facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“How about we celebrate with thousands at our place! Tickets to Wednesday’s #SunsVSLakers game are all yours Teddy! Talk soon!” the team’s official account tweeted.

 

Some tweeted that the gesture could help the boy get through a “heartbreaking moment,” while others called on NBA legend LeBron James, who recently joined the Lakers, to give the boy an autograph.

But that wasn’t all.

The Phoenix Rising soccer team also invited the six year old to their game on Friday. They tweeted “Teddy can get The Mala from @VeneziasPizza and join 7,000 of his closest friends this Friday. Come on out Teddy! #UpRising.”

Bollinger’s mother said “it’s crazy” to see people’s reactions. She thanked them for kind messages on Facebook, writing, “Thanks you guys. I am showing him these messages and he is already smiling!”

Mazzini says she even set up a P.O. box after people repeatedly asked her where they could send him birthday cards. They can be mailed to P.O. Box 18952, Tucson, AZ 85371 and Mazzini says her son is learning how to read and said he wants to read them all.

As for what could have been an awkward day back to school Monday, she said her son took the party in stride.

“He’s doing great. He went to school the next day with a big smile actually. He didn’t even question anyone,” she said. “He’s a loving boy. He doesn’t have any resentment.”

Luckily, Bollinger’s father “was able to save the day” arriving from Alaska and they’re trying to figure out if the boy can go on a trip to Disneyland to make up for the disappointing party.