Jacob Gratton, a Webelos from Arlington, Vt., loves to get mail.
The 10-year-old was diagnosed at birth with chiari malformation type 1, a condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, causing seizures, developmental delays and other complications.
On March 15, Jacob will undergo a major surgery on his skull and neck to help alleviate pressure in his brain. His mom, Sharon Gratton, is determined not to let the impending six to eight weeks of recovery time get him down.
So she created the Facebook page Cards for Jacob.
Her request? Send a card or postcard to Jacob, who loves to collect handwritten messages of encouragement.
In the time since his mom started the page in early January, Jacob has received hundreds of letters and postcards — from as far away as England, Australia and Thailand. He even received patches and badges from law enforcement officers in Florida.
“He loves to sit on the floor before bed and look at all the cards and have one of us read them to him,” Gratton says.
The letters and cards will be a positive distraction, she says, for the Cub Scout on difficult days after his surgery.
Check out the Cards for Jacob Facebook page here or send a letter to Jacob at:
Cards for Jacob
3894 VT RT 313W
Arlington, VT 05250
Get well soon, Jacob!
Thanks to Jacob’s Cubmaster Rob Peters of Manchester Pack 333 for sharing this story.
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