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Dubai girl's memorable birthday bash with special kids

Sadaf, along with her 10 loved ones, planned her birthday with the students of Al Noor Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities.

Birthdays are momentous occasions that most of us want to celebrate with a lot of pomp and show, especially if you are turning 25. It is an age one wouldn't mind flaunting, isn't it? You are young, you want to enjoy, you've made it to the quarter century mark and that calls for a celebration in style.
But Indian expat Sadaf Khan celebrated her special day by throwing a different kind of birthday bash that not many her age usually do. She ushered her special day with a special set of people whom she did not know at all!
Sadaf, along with her 10 loved ones (family and friends), planned her birthday celebrations with the students of Al Noor Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities. Asked why she decided to celebrate this way, Sadaf said: "Because I feel sharing happiness, brings in more happiness.
Sadaf studied psychology for two years and the first time she visited Al Noor was as a student. That was the moment she decided she wanted to do something for the kids there. "They are special in so many ways and not only because of their disability. They are unique because of their pure hearts and that innocence and purity is reflected on their faces."
"Every year I plan to do something different for my birthday and make them part of it but was unable to execute it. But this year I had made up my mind that no matter what, I need to do this. This day will not be about me it will be about them and everything they like. And by the grace of God it happened and I am so happy to say that I can call it not only my best birthday ever but also the best day of my life," Sadaf said.
After following Al Noor's Instagram page, Sadaf said she would find some kind of happiness seeing their happy, innocent faces. "Everyday I used to see their posts and that used to bring a smile on my face. I felt it was high time that I put a brake on my fast-paced life where we are only concerned about me, myself and I. I wanted to enjoy something for real with real people. I wanted to be around genuinely happy people and Al Noor was the place where I felt it."
As the day got closer, Sadaf had it all planned in her head from how it's going to start and what games they are going to play. "I bought trophies and medals for the kids to distribute to them as token of their participation as they are all winners, had goodie bags prepared for them with exercise books, colouring books, painting books, coloured pencils, puzzles, stationary kits.
And yes, finally the highlight of the party was a beautiful unicorn cake that every child wanted to cut and we managed to do that too.
With a hall decorated with balloons, Sadaf said: "We started off with settling them down in the room. They were 30 kids from different nationalities and from then on it was a roller coaster ride. We had a magician who started with some magic tricks followed by the very famous chicken dance, then some face painting for the kids and musical chairs game. We then cut the cake and had a one-on-one interaction with some of the kids. The kids absolutely loved it, and for me this was the most fulfilling, peaceful and memorable sight," Sadaf concluded.
Video by Sadaf Khan/Supplied
saman@khaleejtimes.com