Christmas is coming early this year for 7-year-old Evan Wellwood of St. George, Ontario.
There was a chance that Wellwood, who has been battling brain cancer for the past five years, might not make it to the winter holidays, his doctor told his family. His brain tumor had grown.
So Evan's mom, Shelly Wellwood, decided to initiate an early celebration with her family on Oct. 24. But some of the family had an even bigger idea.
They took early Christmas to a new level with diligent flyering, a Facebook event and a crowdfunding campaign. As of Thursday afternoon, the "Early Christmas in St. George" Facebook page had 3,100 attendees; the GoFundMe campaign had raised close to $14,000.
On Saturday, Evan will be treated with a special dinner and a parade; homes and stores across St. George are decking out their properties with the spirit of Christmas for the 7-year-old.
"There are no words to describe it," Shelly told CBC Radio's Metro Morning. "Evan has always had a lot of people supporting him and praying for him, but now that whole family behind [him] is just growing... People are reaching out that don't live in St. George, it's just truly amazing. At the end of the day, it's all these people, their messages, the hope I'm getting from it -- that's honestly what is keeping me going."
So sing a Christmas carol in Evan's honor on Saturday, even if you can't attend.
