FLORISSANT, Mo. —
For most kids, a greeting card is just the appetizer for the main course: the gift.
An 11-year-old in Florissant is no different.
First, he hopes you'll send him a card, and then give him the gift of a lifetime.
"I know when Alex gets something in the mail, something with his name on it and a stamp, it just brightens his day," said Brandon Sims, Alex's father.
Alex needs a lot of brightness, especially this time of year.
"Because of his disease, we have to be very careful with the flu, colds and viruses out there," Brandon said.
A few years ago, Alex was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease called IPEX.
"His immune system over-responds when he’s sick. Not only does it attack germs and viruses, it also attacks the healthy organs in his body," Brandon said.
Without a miracle in the next few years, Alex's life could be cut short.
"Eventually it will attack so much of his healthy tissue, he won’t be able to survive," Brandon said.
While they wait for that miracle, Alex has to be careful. Keeping germs at bay means, often, he doesn't get to go out and play.
That's when Brandon delivered his best idea yet.
Sims asked his Facebook friends to write Alex a Christmas card for the 25th and Alex's birthday the 26th.
He expected to get a dozen or so. So far, he's gotten 200.
"I was just shocked," says Alex.
That stack is only going to grow taller. Dozens of friends, family and complete strangers gathered Tuesday night at Show Me's Sports Bar and Grill in Florrisant for a letter-writing party.
A common theme in a lot of the letters — the author wishing they could do more to help Alex.
It turns out, there is.
"That one-in-a-million person is out there," Brandon said.
A bone marrow transplant could replace the gene that wreaks havoc on Alex's immune system.
"With that bone marrow donation, it’s his only chance of surviving," says Brandon.
So Alex hopes before you send, you'll swab by signing up with BeTheMatch.org.
For doing so, Alex has a note of sorts.
"I’d say, thank you so much, it’s so cool, I love it," says Alex.
Send Alex a Christmas or birthday card to the below address
1260 Fox Run Drive Florissant, MO 63033
There is also a fundraising campaign to help cover the cost of Alex’s medical expenses, click here for more information
