LORAIN, Ohio — A 3-year-old boy battling cancer isn’t able to take part in a big birthday bash this year, and instead is hoping to receive a million birthday cards. He’s got a good start. So far, Gabe Rooker has received 3,400 cards. The young boy has been diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer. Because of the illness, he won’t be able to celebrate in person with a large group of friends. “We are asking them to send a birthday card to his post office box,” said his mother, Misty Rooker. “We spend a good hour a day going through all the mail he gets.” The address to send a card to is: Gabe Rooker, P.O. Box 403, Amherst, Ohio, 44001. Gabe’s Mom said the cards started coming in the first part of June, and she hopes they continue. She added that their whole family is extremely grateful for all the cards, noting it’s not just local people who are wishing her son a happy birthday. “All over, all over the world and United States,” Misty Rooker said. In fact, they have gotten cards from people as far away as Alaska and even one from a Boston police officer. And Gabe is hoping for a few more. “A million cards,” Gabe said, as he giggled. A million is a lot, but Adam Cook, of Chardon, is going to do his best to help that dream come true. Cook, who organizes the Teddy Bear Motorcycle/Car Run, in honor of the three teens who were killed in Chardon last year, is planning to make the event a little long this time. After they deliver hundreds of teddy bears and other essential items to the children at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, they plan to deliver cards to Gabe Sunday, which is his birthday. “When they come to register, we told them to bring a card,” Cook said. He is hoping to have close to 1,000 cards to drop off for Gabe. And that’s something that makes this almost 4-year-old smile from ear to ear. When asked how he feels when he gets the cards, his reply is simple: “Happy, happy, happy.”
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 00:50:04 +0000