Eight-Year-Old Boy With Terminal Cancer Receives 40,000 Christmas Cards
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Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Danielle Quibodeaux
An eight-year-old boy from Louisiana, who has terminal brain cancer, has been sent over 40,000 Christmas cards from strangers wanting to share their festive cheer with him.
Earlier this year Drake Quibodeaux was diagnosed with Difuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, which is a highly aggressive tumour found at the base of the brain. Only five per cent of children with the tumour survive a year after they're diagnosed.
After finding out that Drake's tumour was growing a family friend posted a plea on Facebook for her friends to 'flood' Drake's mail box with cards.
Letters have since been flooding in from all over the world, with some containing, toys, books, and messages of encouragement and love.
Drake's mum, Danielle Quibodeaux, told WTHR: "Last week, we got the news that his tumour was growing. At the start, they give you nine to 12 months. And on the 12th of this month, it'll be nine months.
"It's not about presents, it's not about nothing. It's about letting him know the community loves him and they're behind him.
"We're blown away with the support. People will come up to me and they're like 'thank you for letting us take part in this.' I'm like, 'I should be thanking you.' I don't know why they're thanking me because it should be the other way around, but we're blown away."
Danielle also told The Daily Advertiser: "It just boggles me. My little boy is reaching the nation and bringing the Christmas spirit back. He said to me, 'Mama, they love me ... they say I'm strong.'
"Keep spreading awareness and spreading the word so nobody else has to go through this. That's what it's all about.
"If we have awareness we have hope."
When Drake was asked what his target was for cards he told his mum 190, and he has definitely achieved that.
As well as the 40,000 cards, strangers have decorated Drake's house ready for Christmas and he even had a visit from Santa himself.