A father has described how he saved his young daughter's birthday party after only two guests turned up.
PJ Robins and his partner Becki organised a party for their five-year-old daughter Remi at the Eden Play Centre in Abertillery, Wales.
A total of 10 friends had been on the original invite list but most did not reply and two got in touch on the day giving their apologies, Wales Online reports.
Mr Robins described the lack of RSVPs as "very sad", before going on to explain the impact it had on his daughter, who has Autism.
The 40-year-old said: "The response was truly overwhelming and we're still receiving messages from people in connection with the appeal, asking for our address so they can send cards, or drop in and meet Remi."
'Like a knife in the heart'
He said: "One of the things with the autistic spectrum is that last-minute changes are terribly distressing, especially to Remi.
"We'd already told her about the party and that we'd invited her friends so she was expecting her friends to be there.
"At one point she turned around and said, 'Mummy, where are all of my friends?' and that was like a knife in the heart."
Feeling compelled to salvage the celebrations, Mr Robin shared a post about the party on Facebook.
It read: "Please, if anybody has some free time and has a child around my daughter's age - would you be willing to help us make her party a day to remember.
"We don't expect anything, not cards or gifts, the party is all paid for and there's plenty of food, we just want some children to come help our little girl celebrate."
The post, shared more than 1,000 times and generating around 60 messages, led to around a dozen children turning up - as well as people popping around to wish Remi a 'happy birthday'.
"Remi was a little bit bewildered, if I'm honest," said Mr Robins. "She had two friends there and then suddenly she had all these other people wishing her happy birthday. She was just looking around like, 'What'?"
Mr Robins said the Eden Centre was "fantastic" and highly supportive, adding: "Thank you to everybody who came down and brought their children."
For the latest news in and around Bristol, check back on Bristol Live's homepage
