A mother was left heartbroken after her four-year-old son was bullied simply because his birthday party featured a vegan menu.
Angel Craine had planned an exciting Pokémon-themed celebration for her son, Malachi, in October 2023. The little boy was over the moon—until he realized none of his classmates were coming.
As the party date got closer, Angel noticed something was off. The RSVPs weren’t coming in. Then, the truth hit her—Malachi’s classmates were refusing to attend because his cake was dairy-free.
“They told him they weren’t coming unless he had cow [dairy] in his cake,” Angel told 7News. “I just can’t believe kids this young are already bullying vegans.”
Angel, who became vegan in 2022, has never forced her lifestyle on her kids. But after Malachi learned what goes into chicken nuggets, he decided to go vegan on his own. Now, he’s paying the price for that choice—being ostracized by his peers.
“He still comes home and tells me the kids aren’t being nice to him,” Angel shared with News.com.au.
A Queensland mum is heartbroken after her four-year-old son was “bullied” for his vegan birthday. https://t.co/6cJZfyuFNc
— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) October 21, 2023
Feeling helpless, Angel turned to the “Vegans in Australia” Facebook group, hoping to find other vegan families who might support her son. Her heartfelt post struck a chord.
“My four-year-old son gets bullied a lot for being vegan,” she wrote. “Are there any vegan families around northside Brisbane who’d like to come to his fifth birthday?”
The response was overwhelming. Within hours, 12 families promised to attend Malachi’s next birthday, making sure he wouldn’t have to celebrate alone.
“He’s always excited to make new friends, and now he’s super excited about his next birthday,” Angel said, touched by the kindness of strangers.
“He’s so strong—he doesn’t let the bullies get to him. He’s still passionate about being vegan and loving animals,” she added proudly.
At the end of the day, whether you eat meat or not, no child should feel left out because of their personal choices. And thanks to a compassionate community, Malachi won’t have to.
