PORTLAND, ME (WMTW/CNN) - Jacob Thompson has been fighting cancer for nearly half his life.
The treatment has taken a toll on Jacob, 9, and his cancer has reached stage 4.
Now he's asking for help making this Christmas, which is expected to be his last, special through homemade cards.
The request is simple. A homemade card from anybody who can spare a little holiday cheer.
It started with one card from a friend and has snowballed since.
"There's some talented people out there that, you know, he doesn't know who are, but they cared enough to send a card," Roger Guay, Jacob's father, said. "It's neat that cards are coming in from all over the world - Denmark, Sweden, Antarctica, the U.K."
His room is filling with mail from across the world. And Jacob has another connection to Antarctica.
He loves penguins, and has several stuffed ones that help him get through his treatments.
"It's been a blessing for him, you know, a comfort for him," Guay said. "It makes the appointments and the treatments that much more comfortable for him."
Each card, message and gift serve as a reminder that Jacob is not alone for Christmas, or in his battle against the disease.
"I like the festiveness," Guay said. "It fills my heart with such joy to see him happy like this."
Several celebrities have also begun sending cards with messages of love and hope, including actress Anna Kendrick, who is from Maine.
Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, where Jacob receives his treatment, is encouraging people to post videos of their families singing Christmas carols to the hospital's Facebook page.
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