The community of Hamilton, Ontario came together to make a final "Spooktacular" Halloween for a five-year-old dying of brain cancer. Via the Washington Post:
It was the most harrowing news they could have imagined, until two weeks ago, when the Hurdakises were told there was nothing more doctors could do to save their son, now 5.
The treatments that kept him alive for the past four years were failing, doctors explained, and Alexandros — who goes by Alex — had only a few weeks, or perhaps even days, to live. Alex still wanted to fight the disease.
[...] Alex’s parents wanted to make his remaining time as meaningful as possible. They asked him if there was anything that he still wished to experience. His response: Halloween. Specifically, he wanted to see monsters.
As a toddler, Alex had gone to a haunted house in Niagara Falls, his father said, and he desperately wanted to go back. His doctors cautioned the Hurdakises against traveling, urging them to remain close to home.
A friend of the family decided she would create a haunted house in Alex's back yard, and asked a local Facebook group to show up in costume.
On the day of the event — Sept. 14 — Tzouanakis Anderson expected 300 people to attend, at most. But as the evening progressed, “probably close to 1,000 people showed up,” she said.
The Hurdakis family was floored.
“It was surprising and amazing,” said Hurdakis, who works in construction. “We never expected something like that. It was beautiful.”
Alex, for his part, “was very happy,” his father said. “He loved it.”
I'm not crying, you're crying!
