Camden said the day after the party to his mom Traci “Mama this has been the second best day of my life building Legos with you, my best day was yesterday.”
Camden’s birthday party has been the most awareness for apraxia in a few days than apraxia has had in over the past century!
It all started at the Cherab’s one support group on Facebook at apraxia.org when Traci Eubank shared to the group expressing her frustration about her son not having any friends to invite to his upcoming birthday party. Lisa Geng who runs the group and is President of Cherab, and co author of The Late Talker suggested Traci shared the idea of starting a page on Facebook that could be shared to get a few children there.
Thank you Facebook, original message shared at a Cherab support group
Traci started this Facebook page for Camden
Thank you Reddit, and specifically r/uplifting news which is where Lisa Geng shared Camden’s birthday page
Lisa Geng immediately shared Camden’s Ultimate Water Balloon Birthday Party Invitation on Reddit where her post went to the front page of Reddit within hours.
Social Media helped give Camden the “Best Birthday Ever”
This short video from Newsy sums up the story!
National and International News
The following are just a few of the many news articles which cover Camden’s party and share awareness about apraxia at the same time.
‘Best birthday ever!’ Massive water-balloon fight rallies community for a cause
“Lisa Geng, president of the nonprofit Cherab Foundation, was excited to see the amount of people in support of Camden and the awareness they’ve raised for apraxia of speech. Her organization works to help kids with speech and language delays improve the way they communicate with others.
The Cherab Foundation helped spread the word about Camden’s upcoming birthday party when Traci had originally worried that not enough people would be in attendance.
“I do hope Camden’s story not only shows the need to embrace those that are unique from others, share the beauty of human nature, but also that it may enlighten those parents of late-talking children about another condition— to confirm or rule out outside of autism or a hearing impairment when a child’s speech is not developing as it should,” Geng told TODAY.com. Read more at Today
When No One Was Showing Up, the Internet Gave This 10-Year-Old the Best Birthday Ever
By Jon Levine Eubank soon after posted her concerns on the Facebook page of the CHERAB foundation, a nonprofit speech disorder support group, where organization president Lisa Geng encouraged Eubank to reach out online and look for party guests outside of Camden’s normal circles.
Eubank’s original Facebook event went viral after it was posted to Reddit and attracted more than 5,000 likes by Tuesday afternoon, and the results were better than anybody could have expected.” Read more at Mic.com
300 Strangers Show Up For Kid’s Epic Water Balloon Fight
Newsy.com
“Camden is homeschooled because he has apraxia, which is a speech issue,” Camden’s father, Wayne Eubank, told WDBJ.
Apraxia is a disorder that causes people to have difficulty making accurate movements when speaking. Because of it, Camden said he felt isolated and had a hard time making friends — something his mom, Traci Eubank, wanted to change.
Eubank at first reached out to a nonprofit support group for apraxia — The Cherab Foundation. A woman with the foundation suggested she share the news on Facebook; then, that same woman shared it on Reddit, where it went viral.
The post received thousands of likes and comments. Nearly 300 people showed up for the massive water balloon fight.” Read more at Newsy
300 Strangers Show Up For Kid’s Epic Water Balloon Fight
Typical birthday parties include cake and, hopefully, some presents, too.
But what about a giant water balloon fight? That’s exactly what 10-year-old Camden Eubank from Roanoke, Virginia, wanted.
“Camden is homeschooled because he has apraxia, which is a speech issue,” Cameron’s father, Wayne Eubank, told WDBJ.
Apraxia is a disorder that causes people to have difficulty making accurate movements when speaking. Because of it, Camden said he felt isolated and had a hard time making friends — something his mom, Traci Eubank, wanted to change.
Eubank at first reached out to a nonprofit support group for apraxia — The Cherab Foundation. A woman with the foundation suggested she share the news on Facebook; then, that same womanshared it on Reddit, where it went viral.
The post received thousands of likes and comments. Nearly 300 people showed up for the massive water balloon fight. Read more at ABC2news
Camden thanks President Obama
This is what President Obama sent Camden!
Virginia Mom of Boy with Speech Disorder Uses Facebook to Invite Thousands to His Birthday Party: ‘He Has a Really Hard Time Making Friends’
For his 10th birthday, Camden Eubank of Roanoke, Virginia, asked his mom for a big water balloon fight. But his wish wasn’t so easy to grant because Camden has Apraxia, a speech disorder that makes it hard for him to make friends. Read more at People
Hundreds Of Strangers Show Up For Little Boy’s Birthday Party After Mom’s Heartfelt Plea
A Virginia boy’s birthday party invitation went viral and it showed just how many people know it’s OK to be different. Read more at ABC11
This family didn’t think anyone would come to their son’s birthday party. They were very, very wrong
Camden, who is homeschooled, has a speech disorder called apraxia of speech, which limits his speaking abilities in social settings and makes it difficult for him to make friends, WDBJ7 reported. But thanks to the Internet, Camden now has friends aplenty. Read more at Desert News National
Roanoke boy’s birthday party goes viral, family feels “Reddit Hug”
Camden Eubank’s family wasn’t sure who would show up at the party, and said Camden has trouble making friends. Camden’s mom’s call for help online went viral, and about 300 people showed up, in addition to countless gifts sent from around the world thanks to popular online message board site Reddit. Read more at WDBJ news
Hundreds attend party for ‘different’ Virginia boy who does not have a lot of friends
A 10-year-old Virginia boy had the birthday party of a lifetime over the weekend. Camden Eubank’s parents were initially concerned that not many people would show up to the water balloon fight party in Troutville. Camden, they said, is home schooled and does not have a lot of friends. He has a speech issue known as apraxia, his father said, which made making friends difficult for him. Read more at CBS 6
Why This Family Was So Overjoyed That Hundreds of Strangers Crashed Son’s Birthday Party
When Traci Eubank created an open invitation on Facebook last week to invite people to her son’s birthday party after being concerned that her son’s speech impediment and lack of friends would mean too few guests, little did she know the outpouring of goodwill it would generate. Read more at Good Morning America
Hundreds attend party for Va. boy with speech disorder
Traci Eubank’s son, Camden, has Apraxia of speech which is a motor speech disorder. It means he has problems saying sounds, syllables and words because his brain has issues planning to move the body parts, such as the lips or tongue, needed for speech. Read more at MyFoxPhilly
Hundreds Show Up to Camden Eubank’s 10th Birthday Party
It all started with a mother’s Facebook post. She shared the story of her young son in need of friends for a small water balloon fight — Camden Eubank’s wish for his 10th birthday party. “I was just hoping a few Facebook friends would come and bring their kids” Traci Eubank. Camden was born with Apraxia a condition that makes it difficult for him to speak and his mom says making friends hasn’t been easy. Read more at ABC13 news
Mom Feared Her 10-Year-Old With Few Friends Would Have a Disappointing Birthday. The Internet Made Sure That Didn’t Happen in an Epic Way.
Her son, Camden, was turning 10 and wanted to have what she called the “ultimate water balloon fight party with 2,000 balloons and lots of kids.” The water balloons wouldn’t be a problem, but the kids, Eubank wrote, would. “The only problem is Camden has Apraxia of speech and because of the issues with articulation and some impulsiveness he has a really hard time making friends. We homeschool Camden because he would have a very hard time in a classroom setting, because he is hyperactive and as I mentioned above, impulsive. I also chose to homeschool him because I didn’t want the labels he would’ve gotten in a public school setting- those labels follow you the rest of your life,” Eubank’s post continued. The mom said her son usually plays with his older sister and her friend and, until recently, another boy in the neighborhood. This boy though, Eubank wrote, recently decided “he’s too cool to hang out with a ‘little kid that can’t talk right.’” Read more at The Blaze
Virginia boy’s birthday wish for new friends comes true thanks to Facebook, Reddit
Camden Eubank has apraxia of speech, coupled with hyperactivity and has trouble articulating words and saying sounds. Eubank’s parents decided that homeschooling was best for her son. With few friends and his speech issues, Camden’s mother went to Facebook to find a few people to help toss 2,000 water balloons. Read more at WPXInews
Hundreds turn up to celebrate Virginia boy’s birthday balloon bash
Camden has apraxia, a disorder that makes it difficult for him to talk to people, meaning Monday’s turn-out really meant a lot. One father drove from northern Virginia with his two sons to celebrate Camden’s birthday. “My oldest son Leon is a special needs child also and I know how difficult it is for him to make friends,” explained Ed Urbaniak. Read more at ABC8news
Roanoke boy’s birthday wish comes true
When Camden’s mother, Traci Eubank, created the Facebook page “Camden’s 10th Birthday Party — An Open Invitation” last week, she thought she was planning a small get-together for her son, who has struggled to make friends because of a motor speech disorder. Camden lives with apraxia of speech, which hampers his ability to articulate words and say sounds. Read more at Roankenews
Boy’s Water Balloon Birthday Party Attracts Crowd of Hundreds
Camden was born with apraxia, a condition then makes it difficult for him to speak and mother says making friends hasn’t been easy. Watch video on ABC
300 Strangers Show Up For Kid’s Epic Water Balloon Fight
Boy’s water balloon birthday party goes viral
It’s a birthday party kids can only dream of. Camden Eubank turned ten Monday and these people, many of them strangers, are here for him. “Camden is homeschooled because he has Apraxia which is a speech issue.” Camden doesn’t have many friends, and his family didn’t know who would come. Close to three-hundred people showed up for the water balloon fight of a lifetime, including one who drove four hours. “I saw this on Reddit and I just thought it would be a good time to come out and show Camden just because he does have that speech delay doesn’t mean that people aren’t going to like him.” Read more at Fox2now
Go, Camden! 300 strangers grant birthday boy’s wish
Camden Eubank has a speech delay called apraxia. He is homeschooled and didn’t have a lot of friends because of the way he talks. But he does now! Read more at HLNTV
Reddit Saves Boy’s Birthday
According to his parents, Camden suffers from a speech delay known medically as Apraxia. They said Camden’s brain can’t always put the words together under social pressure, which makes it hard to make friends. Read more at The Daily Caller
Party Invitation Goes Viral, Hundreds Attend Birthday Bash For Special 10-Year-Old
Camden Eubank welcomed his 10th birthday in grand style after several dozen people showed up to make his dream of having a massive water balloon fight a reality. In the party invitation on Facebook, Camden’s mom explains why her son deserves to have this one wish. “Camden is turning 10 on July 6th and wants to have an ultimate water balloon fight party with 2,000 balloons and lots of kids. The only problem is Camden has Apraxia of speech and because of the issues with articulation and some impulsiveness he has a really hard time making friends” The Facebook party invitation explains that Camden is a precocious child that is home-schooled because his disabilities would not allow him to be in a normal classroom setting and also to protect him from cruel remarks by other kids. Camden is hyperactive and impulsive, which would probably get him in trouble in a more structured setting. Because of his developmental problems, the now 10-year-old has almost no friends. Camden suffers from a condition called Apraxia, a disorder of the central nervous system, a “neurological motor speech impairment that involves a breakdown in the transmission of messages from the brain to the muscles in the body, and/or the jaw, cheeks, lips, tongue and palate that facilitate speech.” This prevents Camden from having a normal life and friends. “He mainly plays with his older sister and her best friend and one other boy in the neighborhood. This friend is 11 and has recently decided he’s too cool to hang out with a ‘little kid that can’t talk right.’ So poor Cam is left with no one else to play with.” Read more at Inquisitr
Go, Camden! 300 strangers grant birthday boy’s wish
Camden Eubank has a speech delay called apraxia. He is homeschooled and didn’t have a lot of friends because of the way he talks. But he does now! Read more at HLnTV
Camden’s Birthday Wish
One kid’s birthday wish turned into a giant community event. When Camden Eubanks asked his mom for the ultimate water balloon fight party, she had reservations. Camden is home schooled due to his apraxia (which causes issues with speech articulation). He’s been in speech therapy since he was 2 years old and has made vast improvement, but sometimes it can still be difficult. “He’s a regular little boy,” says his mother. “Camden is a math whiz, loves history, and wants to grow up to be a country singer like Luke Bryan.” Read more at The Roanoker
Hundreds celebrate Camden’s 10th birthday balloon bash
Camden has a disorder that makes it difficult for him to talk to people, so Monday’s turn-out really meant a lot. Read more at WSLS news
International Press!
‘It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him’: More than 300 children show up to the birthday party of home-schooled boy after his mom’s Facebook plea
- Camden Eubank is homeschooled due to a speech disorder
- He doesn’t have many friends and wanted a water fight for his birthday
- Mom Traci Eubank posted an open invite to Facebook, which went viral
- Over 300 people – mostly strangers – went to the party Monday night at Troutville Park, Virginia, after hearing about the party
- An extra 200 from all over the world sent him presents via Amazon
- Over 5,000 water balloons were used
- Local fire department arrived to soak the crowd
‘Camden is turning 10 on July 6th and wants to have an ultimate water balloon fight party with 2,000 balloons and lots of kids.
‘The only problem is Camden has Apraxia of speech and because of the issues with articulation and some impulsiveness he has a really hard time making friends. He has been in speech therapy since he was 2 yrs old and has made great improvements over the last 8 years but still has a long ways to go.
‘He mainly plays with his older sister and her best friend and one other boy in the neighborhood. This friend is 11 and has recently decided he’s too cool to hang out with a ‘little kid that can’t talk right’. Read more at the Daily Mail UK
Over 300 kids turn up to celebrate friendless boy’s 10th birthday
Camden was born with a condition called Apraxia, which makes it difficult for him to speak – and, consequently, form friendships.
What was supposed to be a small bash turned into a huge celebration at the weekend, complete with a three-tiered birthday cake and around 6,000 water balloons – much to the delight of Camden.
Traci’s open invitation brought visitors from near and far. Read more at the SunUK
Hundreds of people turn up to young boy’s birthday party after ‘Reddit hug’
Sometimes, the internet can combine for the forces of good and the results are a thing of true, heart-warming wonder. That’s what happened when the mum of 10-year-old Camden Eubank feared that no one was going to attend her son’s birthday party, and turned to the internet for help. Camden suffers from a speech delay known as Apraxia, and sometimes struggles to put words together when he’s placed under intense social pressure. Read more at MetroUK
Hundreds Attend 10-Year-Old’s Birthday Party After Invite Goes Viral (Video)
Camden suffers from a motor disorder called apraxia, which makes it difficult for him to make complete sentences under pressure, and as a result, his parents chose to homeschool him. When he expressed interest in having a huge water balloon fight, his mother reached out to her Facebook friends to try to raise the party’s attendance. Read more at Elite Daily World News
Hundreds turn up to celebrate lonely 10-year-old’s birthday after Facebook invitation goes viral
Camden’s mum described him as the ‘happiest she’s seen him in a long time’ at the party, which was funded by kind donations Read more at Mirror UK
Mum’s Viral Invite To Son’s ‘Ultimate Water Balloon Fight’ Party Pays Off With 300 People Attending
Camden has Apraxia of speech, which makes it difficult for him to talk to other children in order to make friends, and while his mum was sure he’d have plenty of grown-ups in attendance, she wanted to help give Camden the birthday party he deserves. Read more Huffington Post UK
300 people show up to 10-year-old’s water balloon fight birthday “It makes any pains you’ve got go away.”
“Camden is turning 10 on July 6th and wants to have an ultimate water balloon fight party with 2,000 balloons and lots of kids.”
She wrote that he has a speech delay, known as Apraxia, and some issues with articulation, making it hard for him to make friends. Read more at YahoonewsCanada
Videos
Extra Coverage Videos from reporter Shayne Dwyer from WDBJnews who was one of the first to cover Camden’s party that day!
“extra video of me getting blasted by the firetruck at the party. Just watch and you’ll see”
“This is a video only extra cut of video of the water balloon fight that we posted”