When Kristen Braconi brought her 5-year-old son Carter to the South Brunswick Township Skate Park on March 26, 2019, she planned a simple birthday celebration. Carter, who has high-functioning autism and ADHD, loved riding his scooter, and the skate park seemed like the perfect place to let him play on his special day.
But when a group of 13-year-old boys showed up with their skateboards, Carter's mood shifted. "He thought he was gonna have to leave because, you know, he's little, and he thinks that bigger kids don't always want to play with little kids," Kristen explained. She prepared to pack up and leave, expecting the older kids to take over the park.
An Unexpected Turn
What happened next was entirely different from what Carter and his mother expected. Instead of asking them to leave, 13-year-old Gavin Maves approached Carter and began playing with him. Gavin helped the little boy navigate the ramps on his scooter and even let him try out his skateboard.
Soon, Gavin's friends followed suit, all of them taking turns teaching Carter how to skateboard and cheering him on when he fell. The teenagers gave Carter a mini skateboard and patiently showed him how to use it. Then, when they learned it was his birthday, they gathered around and sang "Happy Birthday" to their new little friend.
A Mother's Tears of Joy
"They were absolutely amazing with him and included him and were so beyond kind it brought me to tears," Kristen wrote in a Facebook post on a South Brunswick community page. "I can't even begin to thank these kids for being so kind and showing him how wonderful people can be to complete strangers."
Carter, who usually struggles with large groups and doesn't always do well with other children, was all smiles that day. The teens' gift of friendship was exactly what he needed, and their kindness created a birthday memory that would last a lifetime.
Paying It Forward
For Gavin, the gesture was simple. "Some of the guys here I've seen here before, and like, they just helped me out, were nice to me," he explained. "So I decided to do that with him, and just – you never know."
Gavin's mother, Donette Maves, couldn't have been prouder when she learned about her son's actions. "As a parent, you always worry when there's no parent watching, that they're on their best behavior and doing the right thing," she said. "And that made me proud." Community Recognition
Kristen's Facebook post quickly went viral, and the South Brunswick Police Department took notice. They launched a search for these "superheroes," posting on social media: "LOOKING TO FIND SOME SUPERHEROES - On Tuesday some older kids turned into superheroes right behind police headquarters."
Once the teens were identified, the police department threw them a pizza party and presented each with special "challenge coins" as recognition for their kindness. The group included Gavin Maves, David Lakatos, Aaron Perna, Luis Velazquez, Damon Andon, Jiya Salman, Jessica George, Lauren Mazur, Samantha Schwab, and Om Patel.
"It's just so heartwarming to see these kids taking care of other members of the community," said South Brunswick Police Lt. Gene Rickle. "That's what it's all about."
A Lasting Impact
The story gained national attention, being featured on CBS Evening News and multiple other media outlets. But for Carter and his family, the real gift wasn't the viral fame—it was the kindness of strangers who saw a little boy and chose to include him rather than exclude him.
As Kristen noted in her original post, "Thank you to whoever these children are and thank you to their parents because you are doing a wonderful job!" The story serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes the simplest acts of kindness can have the most profound impact.
This heartwarming encounter proves that when we choose inclusion over exclusion, kindness over indifference, we can turn an ordinary day into something extraordinary—especially for a little boy celebrating his fifth birthday.