Girl receives surprise video call from Cinderella and Moana
A little girl who couldn't have a birthday party was overjoyed when she received a surprise video call from Cinderella and Moana.
Maddie Stewart, three, was feeling bored under lockdown in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
But when she received a call from two of her idols, Cinderella and Disney's Moana, she was so delighted she ran around the house yelling to her mum and dad, and playing the videos over and over.
"We had a big party planned for her birthday, but obviously with COVID-19 that wasn't possible," said Maddie's mum Becky Stewart.
"I felt so bad for her, so I planned a special surprise." Becky, 38, who works at an auction company, learned about an organization called Operation: Birthday Rescue, which helps kids under quarantine feel special on their special day.
Birthday Rescue coordinates cosplay actors from around the world with parents seeking joyful experiences for their children while they're cooped up at home.
"I put in the request and we got a call a few hours later, it was fantastic," said Becky.
"Maddie didn't know anything about it, I just told her that I had a surprise and she came downstairs and saw Cinderella talking to her." Cinderella, played by actress Angela Ernst, in Minnesota, appeared on the screen with cascading love hearts, saying: "I know today might be hard because you can't see all your friends and family.
But you know what?
We're sending you a very happy birthday wish with all the love in our hearts." Maddie was visibly thrilled: "Her whole face lit up, she went crazy, she grabbed the phone off me and started running around," said Becky.
"She played the video about a million times.
She's still playing it now." Next came a call from Moana, Maddie's favorite character from the 2016 Disney film of the same name.
"She just squealed like crazy, she kept saying 'mommy it's Moana, mommy it's Moana,' she really got a kick out of that," said Becky, who lives with Maddie and her husband Shawn, a 37-year-old wedding cinematographer.
"This is such a difficult time for everyone, so it's really phenomenal that Maddie and other kids still get to have something special happen on their birthdays.
"It definitely made my daughter's day."
A little girl who couldn't have a birthday party was overjoyed when she received a surprise video call from Cinderella and Moana.
Maddie Stewart, three, was feeling bored under lockdown in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
But when she received a call from two of her idols, Cinderella and Disney's Moana, she was so delighted she ran around the house yelling to her mum and dad, and playing the videos over and over.
"We had a big party planned for her birthday, but obviously with COVID-19 that wasn't possible," said Maddie's mum Becky Stewart.
"I felt so bad for her, so I planned a special surprise." Becky, 38, who works at an auction company, learned about an organization called Operation: Birthday Rescue, which helps kids under quarantine feel special on their special day.
Birthday Rescue coordinates cosplay actors from around the world with parents seeking joyful experiences for their children while they're cooped up at home.
"I put in the request and we got a call a few hours later, it was fantastic," said Becky.
"Maddie didn't know anything about it, I just told her that I had a surprise and she came downstairs and saw Cinderella talking to her." Cinderella, played by actress Angela Ernst, in Minnesota, appeared on the screen with cascading love hearts, saying: "I know today might be hard because you can't see all your friends and family.
But you know what?
We're sending you a very happy birthday wish with all the love in our hearts." Maddie was visibly thrilled: "Her whole face lit up, she went crazy, she grabbed the phone off me and started running around," said Becky.
"She played the video about a million times.
She's still playing it now." Next came a call from Moana, Maddie's favorite character from the 2016 Disney film of the same name.
"She just squealed like crazy, she kept saying 'mommy it's Moana, mommy it's Moana,' she really got a kick out of that," said Becky, who lives with Maddie and her husband Shawn, a 37-year-old wedding cinematographer.
"This is such a difficult time for everyone, so it's really phenomenal that Maddie and other kids still get to have something special happen on their birthdays.
