PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In South Philadelphia, some parents got creative over the weekend to make sure their kids had happy birthdays, even though they're stuck inside due to COVID-19.
11-year-old Emmie Koslosky said normally for her birthday she has friends over, but this year the coronavirus got in the way of that. However, neither Emmie nor her mother Amie were going to let that ruin the special day, so Emmie made everyone ditch the sweat pants.
"She was like, 'Everyone's gotta wear a nice outfit,' and I was like, 'Okay,'" said Amie Koslosky.
Then they went outside to their stoops, where many of the neighbors on their South Philly block came out to surprise Emmie.
"She surprised me with a lot of stuff," said Emmie Koslosky, "like people rode by, and then we went outside and the whole street was out singing happy birthday to me."
"And then I made all her favorite foods, ambrosia, buffalo chicken dip," added her mother.
Emmie said she still misses her friends, but it was definitely a birthday that she won't forget.
A few phone calls and messages later, family members and friends all drove by in their cars with balloons, beeping horns and even throwing some confetti.
"And my other neighbors, I messaged them and they all came on the steps," Brasky said.
She said it was good to see her daughter Kylee smiling and happy for the first time in a while.
"I haven't seen all my family and my friends for a while so when they surprised me it was just really good to see them," said Kylee Brasky.
Her birthday wish for everyone is to stay home and stay safe.
