In a heartwarming effort to bring a smile to the face of a lively, but sick, young boy, community members make his wish come true.
The boy's wish? Getting mail. While many of us find piles of snail mail tiresome, there is nothing this kid with a rare form of brain cancer wants more than to see his name on a bunch of envelopes. Luckily, it is easy for us to grant him this wish.
Danny Nickerson was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DPIG) last October. According to The Cure Starts Now Foundation, the brain tumor Danny has is the most resistant form of cancer to chemotherapy treatments. Less than 10 percent of patients survive past 18 months after diagnosis.
The cancer is a glioma of the brainstem, making surgery impossible, as it would damage all the main nerves of the body. The part of the brainstem that DPIG affects controls too many vital functions.
Only 10 to 15 percent of childhood central nervous system tumors are DPIGs. The cause of the disease is not understood and symptoms generally develop quite rapidly, shortly before diagnosis. Such symptoms include difficulty controlling eye movements, expressions, speech, chewing and swallowing; weakness in arms and legs; and difficulty with coordination.
Five-year-old Danny is celebrating his birthday on July 25, so his mother went on Facebook and asked the community to help her give him the one gift he really wants--mail. And that's exactly what he got. The birthday cards came in droves; so many that Danny's mother is having them sent to a P.O. box.
The mailing address can be found on the Facebook page, "Danny's Warriors", where his mother said on July 1, "Danny turns 6 in 24 days. He loves receiving mail and he's always checking the mail box for mail with his name on it. How many birthday cards can we get before his birthday? And give him a month of tons of mail! He will love it!"
Danny is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation and, despite the prognosis, his family is staying hopeful. In the meantime, well-wishers continue sending their best hopes via snail mail. Only July 13 Danny's mother wrote, "We went to check the PO box yesterday. Another package, and lots of Cards! Danny took the key to open the box and his eyes lit up!"
If you'd like to send something to make Danny smile, visit the Facebook page for Danny's Warriors for the P.O. box address. The box will close on his birthday.
