Gold Coast man Nathan Watson celebrates 40th with birthday parade due to COVID-19 restrictions
COVID-19 restrictions have left Gold Coast man Nathan Watson without family and friends for his 40th birthday - but some quick thinking from his little sister has given him the surprise of a lifetime.
Gold Coast
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STUCK without family and friends to celebrate his 40th because of COVID-19 restrictions, Gold Coast man Nathan Watson was instead given the birthday surprise of his life.
Thanks to the help of his little sister Tamara Napper and hundreds of locals, Mr Watson was able to celebrate the milestone with his own birthday parade out the front of his Helensvale home on Sunday.
Ms Napper who worked with the administrator of the Gold Coast Community Facebook page said the idea started as a call out for a beep or a wave from passers-by for Mr Watson, but the idea soon escalated into a hundred car convoy.
“Our family comes from New Zealand so we had hoped to celebrate Nathan’s birthday together but that wasn’t going to happen,” Ms Napper said.
“I put the idea up expecting a few people but the administrator ran with it and got everyone involved. We are so thankful for how it turned out.”
Along with the cars passing his home and giving him high fives, Mr Watson was also gifted a cake and enough birthday money to buy himself his favourite meal, Pad thai for dinner.
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“He also got over a thousand birthday messages online we have been working through, he can’t read so they sent lots of funny pictures he has been laughing at all day,” Ms Napper said.
“There were so many people willing to help out, it’s so nice to see some good in the world.”
Mr Watson who has Down syndrome loves to wave and chat with people from all walks of life according to his sister, so meeting his Helensvale neighbours in a COVID safe way was the best party he could have hoped for.
Mr Watson told the Bulletin his favourite additions were the police car and the Ghost Busters car who stopped in.
“I want to say thankyou,” he said.
Originally published as Gold Coast man Nathan Watson celebrates 40th with birthday parade due to COVID-19 restrictions