6-year-old granted birthday wish: Mail

You would think that most little boys might want toys, candy or video games if they could be granted one wish, but 6-year-old Danny Nickerson only wanted one thing for his birthday: mail.

Nickerson has an inoperable brain tumor. He was diagnosed in the fall of 2013 with a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, which has a very low rate of survival. In fact, less than 10 percent of children who have the disease live longer than 18 months past the original diagnosis. He consistently makes visits to the hospital to undergo chemotherapy. His mother, Carley Nickerson, wanted to do something very special for his sixth birthday, so she decided to give her son something that he loved: mail!

“He just wanted news, he loves, loves getting mail, seeing things with his name on it,” Carley explained to Fox News.

An abundance of letters
She asked readers of The Sun Chronicle to send letters to Danny for his birthday. The newspaper even published a story (which later went viral online). Danny, as well as his family, never expected the overwhelming response that came from that newspaper story.

Danny received more than 100,000 birthday cards and 8,000 boxes from all different parts of the world, including Texas, Aruba and even Afghanistan. The first card that Danny got in the mail was from a total stranger.

Even postal workers were amazed at how much mail was coming through for Danny.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Michael Powers, district manager for the United States Postal Service told The Boston Globe. “And I’ve been here 35 years.”

These simple letters and gifts give Danny something to look forward to each day. Mail can be such a powerful tool in putting a smile on people’s faces.

Celebrity support
Even Hollywood A-listers have gotten involved in supporting Danny and wishing him a happy birthday. Actor Ashton Kutcher, for instance, asked his fans to send the little boy birthday wishes. Rapper Lil Wayne also joined in, posting a picture of himself holding a big birthday card for Danny on Twitter. The New England Patriots even sang happy birthday to Danny after he had the chance to visit Gillette Stadium, where the NFL team plays. The team owner, Robert Kraft, gave Danny his very own jersey with the number six printed on the back.

If you would like to wish Danny a happy birthday or simply show your support, you can send your mail to this address:

Danny Nickerson
PO Box 212
Foxboro, MA 02035