ONTARIO, CANADA -- What began as a small early Christmas celebration for a terminally ill little boy who will not live to see the holiday has transformed into something much bigger for one town in Canada.
It may be October, but there are now Santas in the windows, snowmen on the street and ornaments galore in St. George. The Christmas spirit is spreading through the town all to honor a 7-year-old boy named Evan.
"I want him to feel that we love him, that everybody loves him [and] that he knows community here for him," said Joanne Webb of JoRo Florist.
Evan's mother, Nicole Wellwood, said her son was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor before he was two years old.
"I've seen him fight and beat all odds and constantly undergo harsh treatments," she said. "Bad days and good days. And everyday he still smiles."
But Evan's symptoms worsened early this year and his tumor became aggressive.
"He wakes me up and says, 'Mommy, I'm not going to leave you,'" she said. "Honestly he's keeping me strong right now."
After 30 rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, Evan's treatments ended in April and his family was told nothing more could be done.
When Wellwood asked her son's doctors if he would make it to Christmas, she said they couldn't give her a yes or no answer. She said they told her if it was important, she should move the holiday up to October.
Once the town learned of her plight, there was a huge outpouring from the community. The entire town has basically pitched in to light up St. George and spread the cheer to make Evan's last Christmas special.
"The cost of being kind to a family in need -- it's not much, it's putting up a string of lights," said Lorene White at Abagail's Teahouse.
"It really does mean the world. We don't know where Evan's going to be in December. We don't know what state he'll be in," Evan's mother said. "Right now he's able to really get the extent of it and still smile and knowing Santa is coming."
People in the town moved quickly turning the town into winter wonderland in a matter of days. But the town has more than just lights and decorations planned. In fact, a parade took place for Evan Saturday evening featuring 25 floats and Santa.
Additionally, close to $8,000 has also been raised to help Evan's family with expenses.
