Nine-year-old boy with cancer dies after last wish was Christmas cards
A nine-year-old boy with cancer died after his wish for an early Christmas celebration was fulfilled.
Jacob Thompson's family announced that the young boy died at the Maine Medical Center in Portland on Sunday.
SEE ALSO: This 9-year-old cancer patient wants a card from you to celebrate his 'last Christmas' early
Last month, Jacob said his last wish was to receive Christmas cards to celebrate his last holiday, and his story quickly went viral.
His family said Jacob was inundated with the hundreds of cards and prayers he received, which will now reportedly be shared with fellow children at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center.
An update to Thompson's GoFundMe page on Monday read:
"It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Jacob’s passing with you. At just 9 years old, Jacob passed away after his a 4 year battle with neuroblastoma. We hope that Jacob’s story and the enormous outpouring of support from around the world will have a lasting impact on raising awareness for this disease. We hope that donations will be made, and a cure will be discovered as a result.
"Each and every person who sent Jacob a Christmas card, a gift, a Facebook message or video, or a prayer made a difference in the final days of his life. You brought Jacob joy, and you brought us all optimism for the future. Thank you for taking the time, and taking an interest in our sweet boy’s journey. Sadly, there are many others like him that we hope you will continue to help."
Jacob was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma at the age of 5. Neuroblastoma is a rare type of cancer that generally affects children ages five or younger.
Roughly 800 new children are diagnosed with neuroblastoma in the U.S. alone every year.
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