21-month-old Ryan Roberts only has a few weeks to live.  Like a few other parents who will never see their child grow up, the Roberts family decided to create a bucket list for their little boy. As one of the latest on the list, the mom has requested parents everywhere to have a banana split party with their kids.

Ryan, who was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect does not have long to live. Doctors have told the grave news that Ryan’s heart problem was incurable, causing the parents to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives: taking their baby off supportive care and signing a DNR.

Like the Rapini family and the Canahuati family who have received such life-altering news, Ryan’s parents decided to create a bucket list for their little boy and their family.  Since then, Ryan has gotten a speeding ticket in the hallway of the hospital, drank a rootbeer (with dad), and pet a puppy.

Pretty soon, people were trying to ask the parents what they could do to help. “I said, just go create a memory with your kids. Just go put a banana split down in front of your kids for dinner and watch their faces light up. No chicken, rice and broccoli tonight, just ice cream. They’re going to remember that forever,” Diane recounted. “Watch them smile.”

And so, Diane’s friend Melissa Neidhardt did just that. She organized “Ryan’s Banana Split Party” and created a Facebook page.

I am throwing Ryan his very own Banana Split Party. Although he will not be able to have one, I thought it would nice if we could all have one for him, whether you have children or not. So some night for dinner, have just a banana split but take a picture and post it to Facebook event page so they can see all the people that are fullfilling their wish!!! So who cares if your children don’t get their veggies one night for dinner, allow them to “break the rules” for just one night and think of a special little boy while you’re doing it!!

With the story going viral, over 25,000 Facebook users are now “attending” this event. Parents have posted photos of their own ice cream parties, and shared a little moment of support for the family.

“In a horrible situation like this, it’s nice to see that it is bringing people together, bringing communities closer together,” Neidhardt said. “At least something positive can come out of it.”