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Hundreds Of Cards Sent To Lucas 'Bear,' 5-Year-Old With Incurable Cancer

By Kelly Bauer | April 29, 2016 2:15pm
 Lucas Cervone, 5, has battled various forms of cancer for 3 1/2 years.
Lucas Cervone, 5, has battled various forms of cancer for 3 1/2 years.
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Facebook/Lucas Bear Heroes

CHICAGO — The family of a 5-year-old boy with incurable cancer who hoped to surprise him with 500 cards is getting their wish — and then some.

Lucas "Bear" Cervone has battled two forms of leukemia and was recovering after a stem cell transplant. But last week doctors found an incurable tumor wrapped around his heart, his family said. Lucas, who is just days away from his 6th birthday on May 7, has been brought home and is on hospice.

Lucas' parents, Anthony and Rina Cervone, hoped to gather 500 birthday cards they could surprise their son with. The cards would show him people care, Anthony said.

READ MORE: Family Of Boy With Incurable Cancer Trying To Gather 500 Birthday Cards

Hundreds of people have responded to help them meet that goal. Steinmetz College Prep alone has gathered 555 cards to send to the little boy, said Assistant Principal Jaime Jaramillo. Others have taken to social media to encourage people to send cards to the family.

"Everybody's really touched by the young man's story," Jaramillo said. "Everybody really pulled together to get this done for him."

Steinmetz College Prep sent more than 500 cards — and a few toys — to Lucas "Bear" Cervone. [Courtesy Jaime Jaramillo]

Jaramillo said he told the staff about the Cervone family's goal and the faculty said they had to help. The school has previously helped raise money for the Cervones to buy robots that helped Lucas — and will help other kids — "go" to school while he was in the hospital.

By Thursday, 200 cards had come in from the school's community members, Jaramillo said. On Friday, just before the deadline to send the cards, Jaramillo did another count: 500.

"Then one teacher sent down her last batch and we ended up getting to 555," Jaramillo said.

Many of the cards were handmade and included "beautiful" messages and drawings, Jaramillo said. An ROTC instructor bought a batch of "happy birthday" cards and put them in the office so people could fill them out and send them. A student brought in two teddy bears to be sent to Lucas and another brought in a G.I. Joe action figure.

"It was really, really nice to see," Jaramillo said. "He is an inspiration for us, and we do think about all the struggles they've been through.

"As long as we can bring a little bit of joy to him for at least one day, hopefully that will be a little distraction and brighten his day."

Steinmetz sent their cards on Friday, gathering them in a box.

Cards should be addressed to Lucas Bear Heroes or Lucas Bear and sent to 40 E. Chicago Ave., No. 162, Chicago, IL 60611. The family isn't expecting anything material or any donations, Anthony said — the “cards and the well-being and the good thoughts are enough for us.”

Lucas' family has also asked that those who wish to help their family instead reach out to organizations that helped the Cervones in their fight against cancer: Family Reach, Operation North Pole Chicago, Cal's Angels, LifeSource and 12 Oaks Foundation.

"These folks supported us through the hardest times of our lives and this is one way we can say thank you by recognizing them for their services," the family posted on Facebook.

Related stories:

• Family Of Boy With Incurable Cancer Trying To Gather 500 Birthday Cards

• Robot Could Help Boy, 5, Battling Leukemia 'Go' to School After Transplant

• 'Lucas Bear,' 5-Year-Old With Cancer, To Get Needed Transplant From Germany

• Family of 'Lucas Bear,' 5, Asks Latinos to Donate Bone Marrow

• Life-Saving Bone Marrow Match Needed for 5-Year-Old Battling Leukemia

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