20,000 postcards for 30th birthday

A FRENCH man with Down's syndrome has received 20,000 postcards from strangers around the world as a 30th birthday present.

Manuel Parisseaux's parents decided to surprise their son and posted a request on both of their Facebook profiles at the beginning of November.

They had no idea how fast the appeal would spread - with their posts shared more than 120,000 times in just a few weeks.

Their local post sorting office made special arrangements to drop off a bag of postcards each morning - and more than 20,000 have arrived in time for Manuel's birthday, which is today.

Correspondents sent in cards from as far afield as Sri Lanka, Canada and Singapore. Many of the cards include messages of support from people with Down's syndrome and other disabilities.

Mother Jacqueline told France Info she was amazed by the "surge of generosity", adding: "I'd always told him that we would celebrate his 30th in a big way."

Photo: Smabs Sputzer/Flickr