Watch Justin Timberlake Serenade An Autistic Fan For His Birthday
As if we needed any other reason to love Justin Timberlake. I would just like to take a moment to swoon over JT. I was never a big fan of his former boy band ‘N Sync (not a big fan of boy bands in general), but I’m a big fan of Justin Timberlake. He is one example of why I love what I do; I get to write articles like this. Justin Timberlake is simply a class act, plain and simple.
MTV News broke this story of a unique birthday present for an 8-year-old autistic boy who attended Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience Tour concert with his parents. The video of the event was published a few days ago on YouTube, and since then it is steadily gaining viral traction. Watch the video here:
Reportedly, Marika Rosenthal Delan, mother to the autistic boy, Julian, was a little worried about taking Julian to the show. Julian kept shouting:
“It’s my birthday!! This is my present! This is my present! I love you JT!”
Julian’s parents were worried that they’d get the usual treatment they get whenever they’re around people who don’t understand autism. But the exact opposite happened: The crowd helped signal JT that his number one fan was in the audience and that it was his birthday. Justin then rallied the stadium of 25,000 fans to sing happy birthday to a giddy little boy. And how could they not? Little Julian is too precious!
Justin Timberlake is not only known for his amazing musical ability but also for his charitable work. According to non-profit Look To The Stars, he has supported 22 total charities throughout his career and gives of his time and resources on a regular basis. Some of the organizations he has supported include Childwatch, Habitat for Humanity, and Kid Wish Network. Could he soon be turning his sites to *ahem* autism awareness?
In related news, Justin Timberlake took the ice bucket challenge to support ALS. JT wore a Pink Floyd shirt and was joined by a group of friends to dump a bucket of icy water over his head to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. You can see the chilly outcome and who he calls out in this video:
Jimmy Fallon and company, of course, accepted JT’s challenge and responded in this fashion:
This is what is lovable about the entertainment industry and this is why I do what I do; reporting this good news about guys like Justin Timberlake and his charitable causes really makes my day.
And you just can’t help but smile when you see the look on the face of the young autistic boy JT serenaded for his birthday.
[Photo credit: Huffington Post/Manifest Station]
