A disabled teen who has undergone 49 surgeries received 500 Christmas cards from strangers – after his mom put out a request on Facebook in an attempt to ‘cheer him up.’
Nicholas Black, 16, from Deland, Florida, has several severe medical conditions and has been forced to spend the festive season living in a hospice.
This year, his mom, Elizabeth, 38, wanted to do something to put a smile on his face during the holiday season – so she asked for help on social media.
She posted about his diagnosis in a few different Facebook groups and asked people send him some cards – and she was shocked by the response she got.
Delighted Nicholas has now received hundreds of cards in the mail from all around the world – which has ‘really brightened his day’ and ‘given him something to look forward to.’
A disabled teen who has undergone 49 surgeries received 500 Christmas cards from strangers – after his mom put out a request on Facebook in an attempt to ‘cheer him up’
Nicholas Black, 16, from Deland, Florida, has several severe medical conditions and has been forced to spend the festive season living in a hospice. He is pictured in 2018
As a baby, he was diagnosed with scoliosis, hydrocephalus, syringomyelia, and Chiari malformation and now, he needs 24/7 care from doctors. He is pictured on Halloween in 2016
This year, his mom, Elizabeth, 38, wanted to do something to make him smile during the holiday season – so she asked for help on social media. They are pictured together in 2019
Elizabeth, a single stay-at-home mom, said it has been a ‘wonderful’ surprise for her son, and has ‘put a big smile on his face’ when he needs it most.
She explained: ‘Nicholas loves it when the postman brings him mail so I thought it would be cool to put our address out there to see what people send.
‘He can get very down and it’s so difficult to watch him go through it and I hoped it would cheer him up.
‘I never expected this many – I expected he’d get maybe three cards a day – but he gets more than 30 cards to open each day!
‘It has put a huge smile on his face – it really brightens his day and gives him something to look forward to.’
When he was a baby, Nicholas was diagnosed with scoliosis, hydrocephalus, syringomyelia, and Chiari malformation.
The conditions mean he is unable to walk and has to have a constant supply of oxygen – so he lives in a home hospice under 24/7 care of doctors and nurses.
She posted about his diagnosis in a few different Facebook groups and asked people send him some cards – and she was shocked by the response she got. They are pictured in 2016
Nicholas has now received hundreds of cards from all around the world – which has ‘really brightened his day’ and ‘given him something to look forward to’
The teen has had 49 surgeries in his lifetime and can’t go to school, so Elizabeth said he doesn’t have many friends and often gets ‘down.’ He is pictured in November 2020
Elizabeth said getting the mail in the morning has become ‘something for him to look forward to every day’ and has given him the boost he needed. He is pictured in 2018
The teen has had 49 surgeries in his lifetime and can’t go to school, so Elizabeth said he doesn’t have many friends and often gets ‘down.’
Besides the hundreds of cards, Nicholas has also received some gifts – like wrestling figurines – since he loves to watch the sport.
They have come from all over – including the U.K., Puerto Rico, Italy, Australia, and Canada.
Elizabeth said getting the mail in the morning has become ‘something for him to look forward to every day’ and has given him the boost he needed.
‘We never expected this many people to want to send one but it’s been wonderful. People really are amazing, I’m forever grateful,’ she added.
Cards can be sent to: Nicholas Black, 924 1/2 North Amelia Ave. Deland, Florida 32724.