B.C. boy fears a lonely 9th birthday. His parents reach out to the world for help

Damien Smith moved to Salmon Arm, B.C., with his parents two weeks ago, but the move has been hard. The young boy is worried he'll have no friends celebrating his ninth birthday with him next month.

So his parents, Tiffanie Trudelland Thomas Smith, came up with a solution they hope will make their sonhappy they're asking anyone and everyone to send him birthday cards.

"Since moving out of the city he's been feeling pretty sad about his friends and our family not being around this year ... he actually said he's going to be really lonely," Thomas Smith wrote on Facebook. "What I'mwondering is would anyone be interested in sending him some birthday cards in the mail?"

Days after posting therequest last week, the couple had alreadyreceived manybirthday wishes, as well as gifts from as far asIndia, New Zealand and Norway.

"It's pretty insane," Trudell told Brady Strachan, guest host of CBC's Daybreak South.

Even more to the parents' surprise, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds delivered a video greeting to the boy this week after learning about his family's story. The parents say they will keep the video a secret until Damien's birthday.

Damien's family moved from Coquitlam, where he haddeveloped a strong connection with his maternal grandmother and received a lot of support in school, but his parents' relocation plan turned his life upside down, they say.

"We already feel guilty that we took him away from his friends," said Trudell. "He already has a really hard time making friends."

In the Facebookmessage, Thomas Smith wrote thatDamien has self-confidence issuesand doesn't always feel accepted.

The couple is hiding all the cards and gifts in a closet until Nov. 21, the Saturdaybefore his birthday on Nov. 24.

"He's going to walk up the stairs and go into the living room. And there's going to be cards and presents in the whole living room," Trudellsaid.

A Salmon Arm bakeryhas promised to makea birthday cake for him, and extended family members and friends from Coquitlam and elsewhere will come to celebrate with him.

"We're hoping that this helps him see that everyone around the world really does care, and it doesn't matter where you are," Trudell said.

Meanwhile, any birthday wishes and gifts can be mailed to P.O. Box 321, Canoe, B.C. V0E 1K0, Canada.

And for now, don't let Damien know, shhh!

Tap the link below to listen to Tiffanie Trudell's interview on Daybreak South: