FOXBORO - Carley Nickerson says all her son wants for his sixth birthday are some birthday cards.
A birthday card, she says, is a thoughtful gesture to let Danny know that someone is thinking of him on his special day, and will make him feel important and loved.
But July 25 is no ordinary birthday for Danny Nickerson, and his mom wants the community to help him celebrate.
Danny was diagnosed last October with an inoperable brain tumor called DIPG, formally known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, for which there is no cure.
According to thecurestartsnow.org, DIPG is one of the most resistant forms of all cancers to chemotherapy treatments. Fewer than 10 percent of DIPG children will live longer than 18 months from diagnosis, and survival is even more rare.
Yet, the Nickersons remain hopeful.
"Every day is a blessing to us," Carley said.
Though she admits that at times it's hard to remain so positive, the family does its best to ensure that Danny gets to experience as many fun things as possible, including beach trips, visits to the zoo, ice cream dates and family movie nights.
Carley says that the main goal is to bring Danny happiness during this difficult time, and is reaching out to the people of her hometown of Foxboro, and to people from surrounding communities, to help do just that by sending Danny birthday cards celebrating his sixth birthday.
"Danny's birthday means so much to us this year. He loves going to the mailbox and finding mail with his name on it," she said.
Danny's birthday is July 25, and all cards can be sent to the Nickerson's home addressed to Danny himself: Danny Nickerson, P.O. Box 212, Foxboro, MA 02035.
The request is not unprecedented.
Last March,Tyler Seddon of Burrillville, R.I., said he wanted cards from first-responders for his seventh birthday. The youngster, who was suffering a recurrence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was inundated with cards from police and firefighters from across the country.
