“Something as simple as a card or a letter in the mail makes his day. He looks forward to the mail, something we all take for granted and yet he appreciates it so much. That is the kind of person Brice is. He appreciates little things so much more than the rest of us,” says Heather Thigpen.
Heather is talking about her older brother, Brice, who has Downs Syndrome. Thanks to his sister and hundreds of friends, family and strangers, Brice had the best birthday a 38-year-old man could wish for.
Last week, Brice received over 425 cards, packages, letters, drawings and gifts. More importantly, he recieved these things in the mail. Heather says that her brother anxiously checks the mail on a regular basis, hoping to see something addressed to him.
“He has always seen his family members get mail and, on the occasion that something has been addressed to him, he is overjoyed,” Heather says.
Heather decided that she would really give Brice a suprise for his birthday last year by posting a message on Facebook about how much he enjoyed getting mail. She had no idea that so many people would repsond.
She says, “I expected family and friends to send him something because they knew it would make his day. The cards and the letters kept coming in the mail and I watched in awe as so many strangers went out of their way just to make my brother happy.”
Her surprise and gratitude from last year’s response, when Brice got over 100 birthday wishes in the mail, was doubled this year. She reposted his address on Facebook and the response was incredible.
“I honestly wish I had the time to sit down and write every person a thank-you card,” Heather states. “I want people to know how much it means to him and it means a lot to me that people would do something so sweet and thoughtful for him. Even people that do not know Brice made him feel so great by just sending him a card.”
Besides cards and letters, Brice received gifts, drawings and even visitors. Girl Scout troops from five counties prepared cards and sent him cookies. Soldiers serving overseas took the time to wish Brice a happy birthday and sent him an American flag. Individuals from Germany and South Africa took the time to send Brice something in the mail. People from Finland, Kuwait and the United Kingdom wanted to make sure Brice had a great birthday.
Heather says she can’t think of a person more worthy of such attention and support. She says that Brice is always eager to help others. He visits the nieghbors on a regular basis and asks if he can help in any way. She said he is a humble, greatful and optimistic person.
“Brice sees the world in such a positive way and he does not see the negative and bad aspects like the rest of us,” she says. “In a time when all we hear about on the news is how people hurt each other, I think people need to know that there is good in the world, as well. Strangers will go out of their way to do nice things and nobody can appreciate this as much as Brice.”
She also wants people to know that this simple gesture is appreciated. Brice welcomes mail all year and his address is Brice Thigpen, 171 Tish Road, Pearson, Georgia, 31642.