MANY Happy Returns! Autistic Boy Receives 20,000 Birthday Cards Following Mum’s Facebook Appeal

A teenage autistic boy with no friends has been overwhelmed with a staggering 20,000 birthday cards after his mother sent out a poignant Facebook plea.

Karen Jones asked strangers to send her son Olly, 15, birthday cards after she she saw him making two cards for himself as he was not expecting to get one from anyone else.

After her appeal went viral, Ollie was sent an estimated 20,000 cards, messages and presents from all over the world on his birthday over the weekend.

And his massive haul even dwarfs the 17,000 sent to the QUEEN from around the world for her birthday each year.

The huge stack of boxes began arriving on Thursday and have kept arriving in their droves - with the house filled to the brim with well-wishers.

Ollie was sent an Xbox that from Saudi Arabia and the family have also been offered a weekend away.

Overwhelmed: Ollie was sent more cards than the Queen for his birthday (SWNS)

In addition, the phone at the family’s home in Exmouth, Devon, is ringing constantly with other goodwill messages.

Full-time single mum Karen said: “I thought maybe we could just try to get him a few extra cards this year.

"So, I put a little post on Facebook asking people to send him birthday cards and now I’m having messages from all over the world.”

On the first day around 50 cards had arrived for Ollie - but then they started arriving in their tens of thousands and Karen has no idea what they have ended up with.

She says it will take her son a long time to get through them all.

She added: “It just brought tears to my eyes, I thought ‘oh my god’, it was a lump in the throat moment.

Well-wishers: Ollie was also sent gifts from across the globe (SWNS)

"All I can say is thank you, the kindness, love and goodwill of everyone has been phenomenal.

"I think he’s going to have a brilliant time for his birthday, we’ve been joking he will be opening them all year.”

“I’m trying to reply to everyone, it’s just gone pretty mad.”

An overwhelmed Ollie said: “No one gives me birthday cards, just me.

"It’s fab, amazing and fun - but not so many next year please mum.

"Where are we going to put them all?”

Karen said that the birthday messages had given a big boost to her son, who also enjoys opening envelopes.

Top pic: SWNS