We just heard about a story that really warmed our hearts. After his show last Saturday, the Cake Boss had a very special visit with one of his biggest fans.
American Khawla Barley’s children love the Cake Boss. They’ve watched every season of the show on iTunes. When she heard Buddy Valastro (the Cake Boss) was in Abu Dhabi, she reached out to organisers of the event for a special request.
Barley’s youngest son Abdulla, age 7, is a big fan of Valastro. He loves the show and loves to cook and bake. He also has autism. Barley says, “Kids like Abdulla can look and behave very close to normal a lot of the time, but so much of what most of us take for granted is such a struggle for him.”
Before the show, Barley sent an email to the organisers and asked if her son could meet Valastro. She says Abdulla has trouble with crowds and has to work hard just to be able to attend events like the Cake Boss show.
Valastro heard about Barley’s request and met Abdulla in a private room for a relaxing conversation after the show. Valastro spent several minutes with Abdulla, kneeling down next to him, answering his questions.
Abdulla was overjoyed. Barley said the smile on her son’s face told the story. She says, “Those smiles do not happen every day. I was very impressed with Buddy on a very human level. Seeing this master baker reach out with patience and true kindness to my son and my family completely won me over. People don’t realise how much a difference going a little out of their way makes to kids like Abdulla.”
