ASHEBORO, N.C. — William Sidebottom, a 9-year-old boy from Asheboro, is touching the hearts of people all over North Carolina and beyond.
His family returned home from a trip to Asheville on Thursday, and couldn't believe what they saw - dozens of packages at the door and a mailbox flooded with Christmas cards - all for William.
You see, this could be William's last Christmas. Doctors say his donor-heart is failing after three years. They haven't given him much time. William's mother, Jennifer Lowery, asked for people to send Christmas cards to cheer up her brave little boy.
The community delivered. Jennifer shared photos with us of all the cards that are now starting to come in for William.
The USPS Postmaster for Asheboro, Darlene Williams, and mail carrier Diane Allred made a special delivery to William Friday afternoon.
"He’s getting about 500 cards a day, so he’s got a lot of reading to do, so he’s got to stick around for a while," said Williams.
"I have never in my life here seen this much mail for one individual and it’s just quite heartwarming and instills the Christmas spirit in you."
"I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff here, prayers and blessings in all these cards that are going to him, and he’s probably going to get this much, like a said, every day," added Williams.
PHOTOS | Boy with failing heart returns home to mailbox overflowing with Christmas cards
It's not just cards and parcels he is getting. Balfour Elementary School kids spent the day making origami hearts with special messages for William.
"Our messages love we love him here. I thought maybe we can fold 1000 paper hearts for William to show him that we love him and care about him," said Meredith Ross, an art teacher at the school.
"Because here at Balfour we are family and we all work together and support each other and William needs to know that we all support him, even the kids who don’t know him personally, we’re still all a family and we all try to treat him that way," she added.
If you feel inspired by William's story and would like to send him a Christmas card, you can send it to William Sidebottom, 1595 Nottingham Street, Asheboro, NC 27203.