It was Teddy Mazzini’s sixth birthday and 32 of his classmates were invited to a pizza party in his honor. What should have been a day of fun and celebration in Tucson, Arizona quickly turned into a disaster.
No one invited showed up, only one parent called to apologize. Teddy sits alone and frowns in front of a long, empty table with dozens of uneaten pieces of Christmas pizza.
Cel Mazzini, Teddy’s mother, angrily took to Facebook to share photos of her son’s grief. It wasn’t long before photos of this lovable but very sad companion went viral.
All the messages and media attention brought Teddy’s story to the footsteps of the Phoenix Suns and MLS Phoenix Rising, and took off for Teddy to celebrate a birthday he will never forget.
Thursday after Teddy’s party, the Phoenix Suns brought Teddy and his dad to their game against the Lakers. They treated Teddy like a real better player. Smiling brighter than the sun itself, Teddy gave every Phoenix player a high five as he took to the field.
Hang out with some of the players and watch the game from the best seat in the house.
Thanks to the team, Teddy’s birthday party has grown from zero to thousands.