Terminally Ill Boy Wishes for Christmas Cards, Receives Over 14,000 in One Day

A boy with terminal brain cancer had his one wish come true in spectacular fashion.

Jacob Thompson, a 9-year-old boy has been battling stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma since he was just 5 years old. His wish for Christmas cards was granted early this week.

On Monday, Nov. 6, he saw 14,000 cards arrive at his hospital room in Maine as thousands of strangers responded to the ill boy’s wish. Thompsons celebrated his favorite holiday a month earlier for what is likely the final time, ABC affiliate, WMTW reported. Another shipment with even more cards was expected to arrive later that afternoon.

The boy’s mother, Michelle Thompson Simard, posted on Facebook that her family had gathered earlier on Nov. 4 to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with their son, where they helped him open the hundreds of gifts that had already arrived at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.

The mother shared photos of relatives and joyful gift-opening moments in the post, as family members gathered to enjoy the feast with Jacob.

A lot of the cards featured penguins, which happen to be Jacob’s favorite animal, while other kind strangers send penguin-themed gifts such as socks and toys, Fox News reported.

Simard also posted a message on the family’s GoFundMe page on Sunday, saying she would be giving back to the community.

“We want to send out a huge thank you for all the love and support,” Simard wrote. “We will be paying this forward and giving back to the children’s cancer community. Please continue to keep checking in for detail.”

As of writing, the GoFundMe page has garnered over $131,706 in donations out of their $150,000 goal. Plans are also set to transform Jacob’s room into a winter wonderland, with Christmas trees and a visit from Santa.