Danny Nickerson, the young boy whose request for cards for his birthday went viral around the world, has died.
Last July, Danny, who loved to get mail, asked for cards for his sixth birthday.
In October of 2013, Danny was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an inoperable and chemotherapy resistant brain tumor. Less than 10 percent of patients diagnosed with DIPG survive past 18 months of diagnosis.
In order for Danny's wish to come true, his mother took to the Facebook page Danny's Warriors and asked people to send her son a birthday card. The post was quickly shared, and not only Danny's friends and family sent him cards, but hundreds of people from around the world made that he had the best birthday possible.
In just one day, he received more mail at the Foxborough post office than the entire town combined, which took four trucks and a U-haul to bring home. They had to leave three pallets of mail behind to pick up later. And more came in that evening at a special party just for him.
The day after Danny's birthday, first responders helped Danny celebrate at Gillette Stadium where he watched the New England Patriots practice and met some players.
On Friday night, Danny's mom confirmed her son's death.
"My precious sweet boy earned his angel wings earlier this afternoon after a courageous 18 month battle," she wrote on Facebook. "Our lord came and carried his body to heaven. His body was so tired of fighting. He is now cancer free and running and playing and laughing with God and all of the other precious children."
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