Delight, Guest Posts, I Have Done Love, Inspiration

What Happens When Justin Timberlake & 25,000 Fans Sing Happy Birthday To a Boy With Autism?

August 14, 2014

Hey there! Jen Pastiloff here, I’m the founder of The Manifest-Station. Marika, the author of this piece, won a spot at my Manifestation Retreat in Ojai last summer based on her writing! It is such an honor to publish her here again. I am excited to announce that Good Morning America just contacted me after they saw this story on my site! And People Magazine And MTV and The Today Show and my goodness, it keeps on coming…It was an honor when I was on Good Morning America and was able to raise awareness for Prader Willi Syndrome (which my nephew Blaise has, as well as autism.) I am thrilled to see what this will all do for autism awareness. Go Julian! Thanks to Justin Timberlake for being such a star! A class act! If you are using this article please make sure you credit/link The Manifest-Station.

To submit to the site, click here. See you at one of my workshops soon! xo Jen

Pre-order Simplereminders.com new book by clicking above poster.

Pre-order Simplereminders new book by clicking above poster.

By Marika Rosenthal Delan

It was the great Leonard Bernstein who said,

“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable,”

Which might explain why I haven’t been able to put into words what happened last night when my husband and I took our son, Julian, to see Justin Timberlake and The Tennessee Kids for his 8th birthday.

Having anticipated this event all summer, Julian put on his hat and tie-

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(because he didn’t have a suit.)

Then, true to his lyrics, Justin Timberlake proceeded to show us a few things. Namely, about love.

It was my son’s only gift request this year. Well, that and Benny Spaceship Spaceship from the Lego Movie. And while everyone knows I love Legos above all toys, Justin Timberlake was decidedly more appealing.

Frankly though, it would have been easier to get him Legos. Having just celebrated turning 40 a couple weeks ago, and having just recovered from the back pain brought on by my inability to sit still at the Arcade Fire concert we went to for my birthday, it would have been easier. And I’m sure a good percentage of my Facebook feed probably thought he was too young or that it might be inappropriate to bring such a young child to mostly grown-up event. Especially a child with autism. One that potentially might disrupt the concert-goers around him and make his mama worry the way mamas always do.

You know the way we do. The way the worry threatens to take over when you look around and don’t see any children, let alone a child “like yours”. Things started to unravel quickly in my mind as I looked around, giving way to my worries about Julian’s obsessions, his volume, his repetitiveness, his clumsiness, if he would spill someone’s drink and if they would be unkind to him…. basically all the things a parent worries about when they have a child that is easily misunderstood.

Even as his parents, my husband and I have taken a long while to understand. We didn’t get it, not until last year anyway, when we discovered that Julian had high functioning autism. It’s why he passed the screenings despite our suspicions and denial that something wasn’t quite right. It’s why it took us so long to acknowledge and put our finger on what was wrong. This boy that seemed academically so advanced and emotionally so far behind. This boy that still bites his fingers when he gets excited and has emotional outbursts like he’s going on 5, not 8. This boy who wanted nothing but the JT 20/20 Experience for his birthday.

My worry was if his Dad and I were still figuring him out, how were all these people around us going to understand him or the fact that he might say the same things over and over all night or knock over their beer, or the fact that he could listen to Sexyback 6000 times and never get sick of it? And trust me when I tell you this summer I learned that is, in fact, entirely possible.

We were there early and I looked around wondering who would be sitting around us, so when this group of gorgeous looking girls came and sat next to us, I cringed. They were dressed to the nines. They looked amazing in that girls night out way reminiscent of my college days. I knew they came to get their JT on and I wanted everyone to have the good time they came to have.

My husband, on the other hand, hoisted our giant 8 year old as high as he could get him, not thinking he might disrupt anyone while I worried the people behind us wouldn’t be able to see. And all the while Julian in perfect autistic fashion was repeating himself over and over, knocking into the chairs and dancing and singing and yelling, “It’s my birthday!! This is my present! This is my present! I LOVE YOU JT!!”

Now I have found that others don’t always find all the things you find beautiful about your child to be so beautiful but I think that’s where Leonard Bernstein comes in. Everyone around us saw it. Everyone felt it but none of us could name it.

And at the perfect quiet moment, the group in front of us started yelling to get Justin’s attention, because despite his loud volume, Julian’s voice was not carrying. Only repeating. And then before we knew what was happening, the group in front of us that had turned out to be so incredibly kind all night to our birthday boy, and these gorgeous girls who I was convinced would be totally annoyed by Julian, had captured Justin’s attention. And then it happened. Justin Timberlake was singing Happy Birthday. They all were.

The awesome grandmother of 3 sitting in front of us.

The model-esque girls sitting to our right.

The people sitting to our left that offered us the video that they captured of the whole thing.

They were all singing.

All 25,000 of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZEX3F8CWhs

And I swear the light in his eyes when this world of people began to sing was so bright it must have been what got my eyes so unexpectedly teary, you know the way your eyes water when you look at the sun? All my mama worries had been for naught. Everyone was embracing our boy in the way I was afraid they wouldn’t. Here we stood while thousands of people lifted him in song to celebrate the day he came into the world 8 years ago. That day that they lay his tiny warm wet body on my still heaving, labor-heavy chest. That day my life changed forever the way it does when a child touches you with their magic, they way they bring you to life with the special kind of music that only a newborn baby makes. The way it makes you want to show them the world and to be able let them hold it in their hands, even if just for one moment.

Which brings us full circle to why we were even there in the first place.

Julian’s deep connection to music has been something we cultivated even while he was still in the womb long before we knew he would later struggle with autism. Thinking back, Justin Timberlake was my workout music of choice on the treadmill with my big pregnant belly while Julian was still in there percolating. Yes, I even occasionally put headphones on my belly for a good dose of Mozart or Bach and sometimes a little Radiohead. Julian was birthed to his aunt singing Strauss in the delivery room in only the way a lyric soprano can do and he rocked out in the car like he was Lars Ulrich the first time he heard Enter Sandman by Metallica. Our love of music vicariously fueled his, so it wasn’t surprising when he said he wanted to play the drums when he was 3. And for this boy who has a lot of loose ends, music has been what has made him feel safe to run without worrying about tripping on his laces. It has been the connection that has held his life together securely and I know this because this year he didn’t want a table full of presents to unwrap. He wanted the gift of music.

It has held him. It has sung him to sleep and it has rocked his little world. It has jolted him awake. Music has shown him his place in the world and the power of music to change it all. It has been the solvent that dissolves walls. And haven’t we all felt the power of that? Like Bernstein describes and like an autistic child who doesn’t always know how to communicate something– we just didn’t know what it was or just how to say it.

Last night the world saw Julian, and for the first time, I think Julian saw himself in the world.

Want to talk about hope? Oh, it was alive, it was so alive, you could feel it breathing. It’s why I found my hands shaking in the middle of the most breathtaking rendition of Happy Birthday I’ve ever been witness to. It’s why despite watching that video 300 times, his dad and I can’t do it without blubbering like babies. Call it the Leonard Bernstein effect (I like the physics ring of that) call it the power of music, call it what you will.

I call it the power of love set to a soundtrack.

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And I quite think Leonard Bernstein would like that and that’s where he comes back in. Still unable to capture what happened last night at that concert, I call to mind some of his other wise words. When I try again to put my finger on what happened, it still seems impossible to pinpoint and I realize this is the mystery that he was talking about when he said, “The key to the mystery of a great artist is that for reasons unknown, he will give away his energies and his life just to make sure that one note follows another… and leaves us with the feeling that something is right in the world. “

That was it! That was exactly what Justin Timberlake had done. He had made us all artists in that moment. The feeling he had left us with was what Leonard was talking about and suddenly I understood why all felt right with the world. All those wrongs I had added up in my head disappeared like smoke when I saw the potential that even one little song had to make a whole world sing.

So thank you Justin Timberlake and the ‘Sexy Ladies’ sitting all around us. Thank you Tennessee Kids and the people all the way in the back. Thank you to the thousand people who stopped to wish Julian a personal happy birthday on the way out. It took us over an hour just to get outside the arena whilst Julian was high-fiving and fist-bumping everyone that stopped him. Thank you for showing me I was wrong about what the world would do when they saw my son. Thank you for seeing him and not just his disability. Most probably didn’t even know he had one. They were too busy singing along with Justin. They were all too busy showing me a lot about human nature, and a few things about love.

For more information on autism and help finding access to services for families in need please visit us at Tree of Life United Ministries or to find out how you can help contact Peter Delan at: https://www.tolunitedministries.org/#!autism/cvym


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Marika Rosenthal Delan is a scientist/nurse by trade and an artist/freedom fighter by birth who once choreographed her little brother and his friends in a rousing rendition of Divo’s Whip It as performed by Alvin and the Chipmunks when she was 9.

Since being sidelined from nursing by her lower back she finds her zen in her children, music, and words of all kinds. She works with her husband, Peter serving the community through their non-profit, Tree of Life United Ministries.

She has been published on The Manifest-Station and Elephant Journal. You can find her blogging at be still and still moving where she tries to practice the art of being still while still getting things done even when those things get done at 4 am. Lucky for her, even at such a late hour, she has found that someone will always leave the light on for you.

 

Jen Pastiloff is the founder of The Manifest-Station. Join her in Tuscany for her annual Manifestation Retreat. Click the sunflowers!

Jen Pastiloff is the founder of The Manifest-Station. Join her in Tuscany for her annual Manifestation Retreat. Click the sunflowers!

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70 Comments

  • Reply jgroeber August 14, 2014 at 7:41 am

    Love this. Love the hope and heart and healing. Happy birthday, Julian, indeed.

  • Reply JenPastiloff August 14, 2014 at 9:00 am

    submit anything here https://themanifeststation.submittable.com/submit

    xoxoxo Until we laugh together in person, Jen

    Jen + Lidia Yuknavitch Retreat: Writing + The Body founder of The Manifest-Station facebook. twitter. instagram. retreats around the world.

  • Reply ari mark August 14, 2014 at 11:11 am

    Dear Jen

    I am also privileged to be proud parent of a child with special needs. What a beautiful story. But the true beauty of your story while so obvious is likely missed by most. You see to most your story is about a little boy and a super star who took a moment to be kind. It was magical. But the real story and the real beauty is far more mundane. It is about you and the strangers near you. We each have the ability in a moment to change peoples lives. All it takes is a kind smile or a warm gesture to take the place of a disapproving stare. The strangers near you chose to make your life better simply by embracing you and Julian with a moment of kindness. They ignored his dis ability and focused on his different ability – the ability to make those around him better especially you and all it takes is a moment of patience, empathy, and kindness. Imagine the world we would live in if every stranger would replace their disapproving stare with a warm and kind smile. You would never be anxious about going to a concert 😉

    Children like Julian and my Yonatan are changing the world one moment at a time

    • Reply Vermont Fragile x August 15, 2014 at 9:26 am

      Beautifully said.

      • Reply barbarapotter August 15, 2014 at 10:03 am

        Ari very well said. Jennifer Pastiloff’s nephew and my grandson Blaise Owings has Prader Willi Syndrome and Autism. Age 7. He fills our lives with such love everyday. He gives the best hugs ever and we are blessed with him more than life itself.

  • Reply Actors In The News » Justin Timberlake Sings Happy Birthday To 8-Year-Old Fan With Autism August 15, 2014 at 9:00 am

    […] For more on the powerful gesture, check out Delan’s piece here. […]

  • Reply Vermont Fragile x August 15, 2014 at 9:29 am

    Thank you for sharing this story. It’s a beautiful and powerful testament to the love and support you have around you.

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Sings Happy Birthday To 8-Year-Old Fan With Autism | Vegas News Paper August 15, 2014 at 9:32 am

    […] For more on the powerful gesture, check out Delan’s piece here. […]

  • Reply barbarapotter August 15, 2014 at 9:40 am

    Love this so much.

  • Reply 전세계의 최신 영어뉴스 듣기 - 보이스뉴스 잉글리쉬 August 15, 2014 at 11:18 am

    […] For more on the powerful gesture, check out Delan’s piece here. […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Sings Happy Birthday to Boy with Autism | Everything what we need to know! August 15, 2014 at 1:08 pm

    […] an excerpt of Marika's blog from The Manifest-Station below. Marika also has a persona blog called, Be Still and Still Moving: Kindling the Light […]

  • Reply John Counsel August 15, 2014 at 1:47 pm

    I have five adult children, all of them High Functioning Autistics like me. Music has been a crucial connection all of our lives. Three of them are now trained opera singers and one is an acclaimed dance DJ. The other surrounds herself with music. Several of our grandchildren are also HFA.

    This article confirms our own experiences — that music is a wonderful means of non-verbal communication and connection, and that the vast majority of people are kind and supportive once they understand.

    Thanks for posting. 😀

  • Reply Melissa Cornett August 15, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    I was at this concert and was so touched by Justin stopping his show to allow us to help Julian celebrate his birthday. I am so happy to know the story behind that sweet face on the big screen. High five Julian!

  • Reply Priya (@priyasobsession) August 15, 2014 at 7:13 pm

    Absolutely love this! It only took a few minutes to make a his day!

  • Reply Ndumi August 15, 2014 at 9:45 pm

    Touched by this story! Not only by JT’s gesture but by the ladies who looked beyond thr disability to make Julian’s dream bigger than he wished for. We need more people like that in society.

    Keep hope alive Julian; dreams do come true!

  • Reply When Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sang Happy Birthday To My Son With Autism | NEWS | Phones | Nigeria Science | Technology |Computers August 15, 2014 at 10:59 pm

    […] This post originally ran on The Manifest Station, a site run by Jennifer Pastiloff. […]

  • Reply When Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sang Happy Birthday To My Son With Autism August 15, 2014 at 11:04 pm

    […] This post originally ran on The Manifest Station, a site run by Jennifer Pastiloff. […]

  • Reply When Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sang Happy Birthday To My Son With Autism | Omaha Sun Times August 15, 2014 at 11:45 pm

    […] This post originally ran on The Manifest Station, a site run by Jennifer Pastiloff. […]

  • Reply 전세계의 최신 영어뉴스 듣기 - 보이스뉴스 잉글리쉬 August 16, 2014 at 12:09 am

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  • Reply When Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sang Happy Birthday To My Son With Autism | Livin'it Good August 16, 2014 at 12:16 am

    […] This post originally ran on The Manifest Station, a site run by Jennifer Pastiloff. […]

  • Reply When Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sang Happy Birthday To My Son With Autism | Marika Rosenthal Delan August 16, 2014 at 1:19 am

    […] This post originally ran on The Manifest Station, a site run by Jennifer Pastiloff. […]

  • Reply When Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sang Happy Birthday To My Son With Autism | CauseHub August 16, 2014 at 6:00 am

    […] This post originally ran on The Manifest Station, a site run by Jennifer Pastiloff. […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake i-a împlinit dorința unui copil bolnav de autism! | Vip News Romania August 16, 2014 at 8:26 am

    […] site-ul The Manifest Station, mama unui băiețel de 8 ani bolnav de autism, a povestit prin ce emoții a trecut alături de […]

  • Reply Live FM 91.9MHz Ghana » Justin Timberlake Serenaded An 8-Year-Old Autistic Boy For His Birthday August 16, 2014 at 8:45 am

    […] a post on a website The Manifest Station, Marika Rosenthal Delan, the mother of an 8-year-old boy with autism shared her story of attending […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Sings Happy Birthday To 8-Year-Old Autistic Fan At ’20/20′ Concert: Watch | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com August 16, 2014 at 9:01 am

    […] The video was first posted by Julian’s mother, writer Marika Rosenthal Delan. “Things started to unravel quickly in my mind as I looked around, giving way to my worries about Julian’s obsessions, his volume, his repetitiveness, his clumsiness, if he would spill someone’s drink and if they would be unkind to him…. basically all the things a parent worries about when they have a child that is easily misunderstood,” she wrote, in a concert recap for the blog The Manifest Station. […]

  • Reply Watch Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sing Happy Birthday to 8-Year-Old Boy With Autism | NEWS | Phones | Nigeria Science | Technology |Computers August 16, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    […] mother described the boy’s reaction in an essay posted at The Manifest […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Makes An Autistic Boy's Birthday Extra Special | shoppees August 16, 2014 at 1:30 pm

    […] way your eyes water when you look at the sun? All my mama worries had been for naught,” she writes about the experience. “Everyone was embracing our boy in the way I was afraid they […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Sings “Happy Birthday” To 8-Year-Old Autistic Fan At ’20/20′ Concert: Watch | EHAds.com August 16, 2014 at 5:27 pm

    […] The video was first posted by Julian’s mother, writer Marika Rosenthal Delan. “Things started to unravel quickly in my mind as I looked around, giving way to my worries about Julian’s obsessions, his volume, his repetitiveness, his clumsiness, if he would spill someone’s drink and if they would be unkind to him…. basically all the things a parent worries about when they have a child that is easily misunderstood,” she wrote, in a concert recap for the blog The Manifest Station. […]

  • Reply INSPIRING: What Happens When Justin Timberlake & 25,000 Fans Sing Happy Birthday To a Boy With Autism? (WATCH) | Jide-Salu.com August 17, 2014 at 5:56 am

    […] To read the rest of this inspiring story, click the link. […]

  • Reply December Courtwrighg August 17, 2014 at 10:09 am

    Super cute! Mother and son autism here (autism_indecember on IG), and what a sweet and hilarious story. I hope your family knows about your local Autism Society and/or TACA (www.TACAnow.org) for services as well as the Gen Rescue Grants, http://www.generationrescue.org. Also the special needs Docs who truly know how to make a difference in their health, http://www.medmaps.org. Best study Bible? http://www.BFA.org. Our care for our children IS our ministry. Only Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable in God’s eyes, and that was one of dispensing Christ into others. ;). God bless.

  • Reply Justin Timberlake sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to eight-year-old boy with autism | Today Health Channel August 17, 2014 at 10:23 am

    […] mother Marika wrote a blog post explaining how before the show, she was nervous about how other concert-goers would react to her […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Makes An Autistic Boy’s Birthday Extra Special | Most Searched Ever August 17, 2014 at 10:25 am

    […] way your eyes water when you look at the sun? All my mama worries had been for naught,” she writes about the experience. “Everyone was embracing our boy in the way I was afraid they […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert to Sing "Happy Birthday" to 8-Year-Old Boy … – E! Online | NewsBreakOnline.com August 17, 2014 at 1:33 pm

    […] blogged about the extraordinary event on the website The Manifest Station, where she posted with video. She stated that her son was diagnosed with high functioning […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake deja concierto para cantar "Feliz cumpleaños" a niño de 8 años con autismo (VIDEO) | Pop Culture Informer August 17, 2014 at 1:38 pm

    […] escribió en su blog acerca del extraordinario evento en el sitio web La estación manifiesto, donde ella publicada con video. Dijo que su hijo fue diagnosticado con autismo de alto […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert to Sing "Happy Birthday" to 8-Year-Old Boy …News Trends Today | News Trends Today August 17, 2014 at 1:52 pm

    […] blogged about a unusual eventuality on a website The Manifest Station, where she posted with video. She settled that her son was diagnosed with high functioning […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert to Sing "Happy Birthday" to 8-Year-Old Boy …Breaking News Today | Breaking News Today August 17, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    […] blogged about a unusual eventuality on a website The Manifest Station, where she posted with video. She settled that her son was diagnosed with high functioning […]

  • Reply sara August 17, 2014 at 4:53 pm

    Oh! This post, that video – they have both made me so happy!

  • Reply Monica August 17, 2014 at 6:05 pm

    This was so much fun to read and so happy he got his birthday wish and more. My son is also high functioning autism. At 16 he has a 3.8 GPA plays on the high school soccer team (regular team) likes girls and hates shopping. Pretty normal stuff. He caught up emotionally by age 14 and the out bursts stopped. He still is rigid in some thoughts and speech but I know he will be fine. He will be an engineer or IT guy and will just be himself. He doesn’t care what others think… Maybe that is the gift of autism

  • Reply Justin Timberlake and 25000 People Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to an 8-Year-Old with … | Today Health Channel August 18, 2014 at 1:21 am

    […] outside the arena whilst Julian was high-fiving and fist-bumping everyone that stopped him,” Julian’s mother wrote on The Manifest Station. “Thank you for showing me I was wrong about what the world would do when they saw my son. […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake brings happy back with birthday song for boy with autism | dalesorensenbrevard August 18, 2014 at 7:10 am

    […] a form of autism that can lead to disruptive behavior, mom Marika wrote in a touching blog post on Manifest-Station. But Julian is such a big Timberlake fan (able to replay to “SexyBack” thousands of […]

  • Reply Rebecca Ruiz August 18, 2014 at 7:30 am

    I think ur son is amazing tell him to keep singing. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIAN!!!!!!!! FROM WICHITA KANSAS

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Sing's Happy Birthday To A Boy With Autism August 18, 2014 at 8:43 am

    […] See the full story:  https://www.themanifeststation.net/2014/08/14/what-happens-when-justin-timberlake-25000-fans-sing-happy… […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to 8-Year-Old | Sharing Interesting Stuff, Updates News & Free Tips August 18, 2014 at 9:08 am

    […] wrote in a blog post that she worried about bringing the boy because she thought he might be too young for the crowd, […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to 8-Year-Old | PakistanTv.Info August 18, 2014 at 9:09 am

    […] wrote in a blog post that she worried about bringing the boy because she thought he might be too young for the crowd, […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sing 'Happy Birthday' to 8-Year-Old | NEWS | Phones | Nigeria Science | Technology |Computers August 18, 2014 at 9:09 am

    […] wrote in a blog post that she worried about bringing the boy because she thought he might be too young for the crowd, […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Sings 'Happy Birthday' To Boy With Autism August 18, 2014 at 9:29 am

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  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert To Sing “Happy Birthday” To 8-Year-Old Boy With Autism-Watch Now! « KYMX Mix 96 August 18, 2014 at 10:55 am

    […] shared the amazing experience on social media. Marika blogged about the event on the website, The Manifest Station, where she explained her son had been disgnosed with high functioning autism in 2013. She added […]

  • Reply Rührendes Geburtstagsständchen: Justin Timberlake singt für einen autistischen Jungen - Nachrichten Heute Deutschland August 18, 2014 at 11:44 am

    […] für die ganze Familie. Vor dem Konzert war sie jedoch sehr besorgt, wie sie in einem Blogbeitrag auf “The Manifest Station” erzählt: “Ich hatte Angst, dass die Menschen um uns herum ihn nicht verstehen werden, […]

  • Reply Geburtstagsständchen von Justin Timberlake: Dieses Konzert wird dieser autistische Junge nie vergessen | EXTREMO August 18, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    […] Diesen Wunsch erfüllte ihm seine Familie – hatte im Vorfeld allerdings Bedenken, dass Julian die anderen Konzertbesucher stören könnte. “Ich hatte Angst, dass die Menschen um uns herum ihn nicht verstehen werden, schließlich wissen auch sein Vater und ich nicht immer, was er möchte”, schreibt Julians Mutter in einem Blogbeitrag auf “The Manifest Station”. […]

  • Reply janelleD August 18, 2014 at 2:35 pm

    i was at this show and have no idea how i stumbled upon this story but i can’t tell you how happy it makes me to know the behind the scenes story! i wouldn’t have guessed that the crowd of us all singing happy birthday would have made such an impact on Julian’s life but i am so glad it did and even more glad that Justin saw him and made this happen! Congrats on an epic 8th bday Julian and i hope they just keep getting better and better!

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert to Sing “Happy Birthday” to 8-Year-Old Kid With Autism | Tree Services UK | RER Group August 18, 2014 at 2:56 pm

    […] mom, Marika Rosenthal Delan, blogged about the incredible moment for The Manifest-Station. In her post, she admitted she had reservations at first about taking her son to the show, and that […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake leads concertgoers in singing Happy Birthday to young boy with autism August 18, 2014 at 2:57 pm

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  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert to Sing "Happy Birthday" to 8-Year-Old Kid With Autism – Showbiz Spy August 18, 2014 at 3:17 pm

    […] mom, Marika Rosenthal Delan, blogged about the incredible moment for The Manifest-Station . In her post, she admitted she had reservations at first about taking her son to the show, and […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert to Sing "Happy Birthday" to 8-Year-Old Kid With Autism | Trending News | Latest News | Online News | Reliable News| Fast News At Reliablenewsupdate.com August 18, 2014 at 4:51 pm

    […] mom, Marika Rosenthal Delan, blogged about the incredible moment for The Manifest-Station. In her post, she admitted she had reservations at first about taking her son to the show, and that […]

  • Reply jtgermany123 August 18, 2014 at 6:13 pm

    Reblogged this on Justin Timberlake Daily and commented:
    We love this ♥

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert to Sing "Happy Birthday" to 8-Year-Old Kid With Autism August 18, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    […] mom, Marika Rosenthal Delan, blogged about the incredible moment for The Manifest-Station. In her post, she admitted she had reservations at first about taking her son to the show, and that […]

  • Reply Dawn and Terrence August 18, 2014 at 8:05 pm

    Just saw the article in us magazine and I wanted to say thank you for sharing your son with all of us. My fiance and I along with our Lil person that is still cooking were there and sang Happy birthday to him all the from the nose bleeds. The experience was amazing and I cried when I saw the huge smile in Julian’s face on the big white honeycomb wall. Not gonna lie I laughed hysterically when JT said good luck topping his 8th bday on his 9th. Haha
    I have a few friends that have children with autism and they are a special special gift. Yes a lot of work but they have a sparkle and smile I can’t describe that warms my heart. Julian had that. What a gift this entire experience was for us I can only imagine the feelings you has. Thank you for sharing it with a bunch of strangers.

    God bless those strangers around you that helped your sons dream some true.

    God bless you and your entire family.

    Much love from Sonoma County!

  • Reply Geburtstagsständchen von Justin Timberlake: Dieses Konzert wird dieser autistische Junge nie vergessen August 19, 2014 at 12:55 am

    […] Diesen Wunsch erfüllte ihm seine Familie – hatte im Vorfeld allerdings Bedenken, dass Julian die anderen Konzertbesucher stören könnte. “Ich hatte Angst, dass die Menschen um uns herum ihn nicht verstehen werden, schließlich wissen auch sein Vater und ich nicht immer, was er möchte”, schreibt Julians Mutter in einem Blogbeitrag auf “The Manifest Station”. […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Sings Happy Birthday To 8-Year-Old Fan With Autism | LUYOL August 19, 2014 at 12:58 am

    […] For more on the powerful gesture, check out Delan’s piece here. […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake Stops Concert to Sing "Happy Birthday" to 8-Year-Old Kid … | Today Health Channel August 19, 2014 at 1:24 am

    […] mom, Marika Rosenthal Delan, blogged about the incredible moment for The Manifest-Station. In her post, she admitted she had reservations at first about taking her son to the show, and that […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake and 25,000 fans sing Happy Birthday to 8 year old boy with Autism! - Best New YouTube Videos August 19, 2014 at 5:58 am

    […] The story is supplemented by a very moving description of the night by the child’s mother. […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to autistic boy during concert | The Best In Online News | ILatestNews.com August 19, 2014 at 7:54 pm

    […] singer, his favorite celebrity for his birthday, his mother Marika Delan wrote in a post to The Manifest-Station, which was later reposted on her personal […]

  • Reply When Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sang Happy Birthday To My Son With Autism | LUYOL August 20, 2014 at 4:47 am

    […] This post originally ran on The Manifest Station, a site run by Jennifer Pastiloff. […]

  • Reply When Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sang Happy Birthday To My Son With Autism | My Website October 19, 2014 at 3:55 am

    […] This post originally ran on The Manifest Station, a site run by Jennifer Pastiloff. […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake singt für einen autistischen Jungen. | TELLMEYOURLIES January 18, 2015 at 4:41 am

    […] für die ganze Familie. Vor dem Konzert war sie jedoch sehr besorgt, wie sie in einem Blogbeitrag auf “The Manifest Station” erzählt: “Ich hatte Angst, dass die Menschen um uns herum ihn nicht verstehen werden, […]

  • Reply Kerry Magro – Justin Timberlake Sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to Young Boy with Autism! November 15, 2015 at 5:06 pm

    […] Marika wrote in the Manifest Station Blog… […]

  • Reply Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to 8-Year-Old | GagViral December 8, 2015 at 4:27 pm

    […] wrote in a blog post that she worried about bringing the boy because she thought he might be too young for the crowd, […]

  • Reply What Happens When Justin Timberlake & 25,000 Fans Sing Happy Birthday To a Boy With Autism? – bestillandstillmoving.com January 17, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    […] This piece originally appeared on The Manifest-Station […]

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