A disabled singer-songwriter was left dismayed after a restaurant wrote "Happy Birthday Wheelchair" on her dessert plate during a family birthday celebration. Antonia Sinibaldi, 29, was celebrating her birthday at Blu On The Hudson in Weehawken, New Jersey, when she received her dessert with the unusual inscription.
Sinibaldi, who has relied on a motorized wheelchair since a drunk driving accident at age two left her paralyzed from the neck down, told CBS News that the message was "baffling." "My body started shaking, body started spasming. My body reacted faster than my mouth or my mind," she said in a video interview with NBC 4 News, describing her reaction to the incident.
She stated that the message was a startling reminder of her disability, saying, "I shouldn't be reminded of something I already know." According to Sinibaldi, she spoke with a manager after the incident but was not immediately offered an apology. Instead, she reported being offered additional complimentary drinks.
A spokesperson for Blu On The Hudson issued a statement explaining the occurrence. "The word 'wheelchair' was used as a reference to identify where a birthday dessert with a candle should be delivered. Unfortunately, that notation was misunderstood and was written on the plate itself," the statement read. The restaurant asserted that there was "absolutely no malicious or disrespectful intent" behind the message, but acknowledged "how seeing that word written on a plate could be deeply hurtful and upsetting."
The restaurant expressed that they were "deeply saddened" and "sincerely apologize" for the workflow error. The incident gained attention after Sinibaldi posted it on social media, where many users expressed outrage.
Blu on the Hudson stated that they are reinforcing ticketing and communication procedures to prevent similar incidents. They also noted that they attempted to contact Sinibaldi directly to resolve the matter. However, Sinibaldi indicated that she does not intend to return to the restaurant, stating, "The more people interview me the more the restaurant tries to apologize to me. Still I am not going to go back."