For Natalie Carson, birthdays have never been fun.
She grew up in the foster system and was abused by both her birth parents and the family she was placed with, so celebrations were a little scarce. But this year, she decided to do something different: she posted an ad on Craigslist asking for a family she could “rent” for $8 in order to have a birthday party.
“I usually just try to sleep through my birthday and holidays too. I just think, ‘Go rest and it’ll be over in the morning and you won’t have to think about it again until next year,”’ Carson said. She also described a birthday in which her foster family in Georgia bought her a doll for her present and then made her throw it away.
But this June 10, she says, will be different. “I felt like having one day where it’s OK — this is about me and it’s my birthday. I don’t have this big elaborate plan or anything, I just wanted it to be good.”
Since placing the ad, Carson has been overwhelmed with the response and has received over 1,000 emails.
“It felt good; I was happy, and I’ve been talking to one family in particular,” she said.
