A restaurant has apologised after writing 'Happy Birthday Wheelchair' on a woman's dessert. Antonia Sinibaldi, a singer-songwriter who uses a wheelchair and ventilator, was celebrating her 29th birthday at Blu on the Hudson in New Jersey when she received the dessert with the word 'wheelchair' written next to 'Happy Birthday'.
Reaction to the incident
Speaking to NBC New York, Sinibaldi said she started to spasm as she reacted to what she saw. 'The body started shaking, the body started spasming. My body reacted faster than my mouth or my mind,' she said. She added that the incident left her loved ones angry, while she was 'baffled'.
'My family's angry, my friends are angrier, but me, I'm just baffled by it,' she told WCBS. She also said: 'Don't bring up my disability in every sentence is what people should know.'
Restaurant's explanation
In a statement, the restaurant told the publication that the word 'wheelchair' had been used so the dessert could be delivered to the correct table. 'The word "wheelchair" was used as a reference to identify where a birthday dessert with a candle should be delivered,' a spokesperson for Blu on the Hudson said. 'Unfortunately, that notation was misunderstood and was written on the plate itself. There was absolutely no malicious or disrespectful intent behind the notation. However, we fully understand how seeing that word written on a plate could be deeply hurtful and upsetting.'
The restaurant also told People: 'We sincerely apologize to the guest and to everyone who was hurt or offended by this incident which took place on June 20, 2026.'
Sinibaldi's response
Sinibaldi, who has used a wheelchair since suffering an incomplete spinal cord injury in 1999 when a drunk driver hit a vehicle carrying her and her parents, has since taken to Instagram to respond. Posting a screenshot of their statement, she said: 'First thing first the first picture is a bs response. My chair is not my identity.'
'Second, my aunt reminded me that they were kicking us out towards the end. Like I said my body was reacting faster than my mind so I couldn't leave that fast.' Speaking to Ability Speaks Magazine, Sinibaldi said she had to relearn speech and communication skills after suffering a brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen in 2024.
