This story went viral when two unlikely friends became best friends during the pandemic.
2-year-old Benjamin Olson became best friends with his next door neighbor 99-year-old Mary O'Neill during the pandemic. Benjamin's mom Sarah Olson told TODAY, "For more than a year, he didn't see other kids. He didn't interact with anyone except our family and Mary. They ended up forming an incredibly strong bond."
But since their budding friendship during the pandemic, the two had something big to celebrate, Mary's 100th birthday. Family and friends gathered early to celebrate O'Neill's milestone, which will become official on December 18th.
After the story went viral, the Olson family set a goal of getting 100 birthday cards for Mary's 100th birthday. They were able to get 300 cards from 21 states, plus a card from Germany.
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