When Chloe Sexton lost her mom to brain cancer on April 12, she immediately stepped into a parenting role for her younger sister, Charlotte, who was seven years old then.
Sexton said they thought May would be the worst month for them as it has always been a special month for their family. May was not only Brain Cancer Awareness Month but also her deceased mom's birthday and her baby's first birthday.
The month of July, however, brought another painful first for them as now 8-year-old Charlotte will be celebrating her first birthday without their mom, Jennifer. Sexton said she had always been very invested in throwing birthday parties and wanted to plan something special for her little sister. Not only was it Charlotte's first birthday without her mother, it would also be her younger sister's first-ever party.
Sexton heartbroken when only one family returned an RSVP
Sexton explained that her mother was generally pretty sick and tired and had done radiation and chemo five and six times each, so there was not much room for her to party plan her sister's birthdays.
She was devastated that only one family had returned an RSVP as Charlotte's party neared. Sexton explained that it is tough to be a kid with a birthday in the summer, saying that Charlotte transferred schools mid-year after their mother's death. She noted that it was not that children couldn't come; they did not say anything at all.
Sexton, who owns the cookie company, Bluff Cakes, shared her difficult situation through tears on her TikTok account. She said in the emotional video that her little sister turns eight tomorrow and that her birthday party will be this weekend. She told TODAY Parents that their mom died of brain cancer 83 days ago, and only one child from her class RSVP'd for her party.
Sexton did not anticipate what happened next as she began receiving messages from people worldwide asking how they could help for Charlotte's birthday. She told anyone who asked to send a card for her younger sister to read. People heeded that request, with Sexton's P.O. box being packed to the brim every day.
Charlotte had many surprises on her birthday
The birthday cards were just a preview of what would come to fruition during Charlotte's big celebration. Sexton said that kids just showed up on the day of the party. Parents she had talked to kept filing into their house and soon had their garage and yard full of people.
There were more surprises with Gracie the pony also going to the party with her owner Libby. The Mid-South Jeep Group, unbeknownst to the family, privately orchestrated a drive-by of more than thirty Jeeps for Charlotte's birthday. Then before the party ended, Charlotte got a visit from reptiles, handled by trained animal professionals.
A viral recap video of Charlotte's party amassed more than 3 million views before it was removed from TikTok. Sexton has since reposted it.
