LUMBERTON - What started with a wish made by a dying child earlier this month has snowballed into an avalanche of Christmas cards, toys and prayers for a miracle from well-wishers around Robeson County - and the world.

Damien Hammonds, a 7-year-old boy battling neuroblastoma, a terminal cancer that attacked his entire skeletal system, made a simple wish a few weeks ago. He told his grandmother that his only Christmas wish was to receive Christmas cards through the mail.

She told her church congregation at Ten Mile Center on U.S. 301, church members spread the word by mouth and on the Internet, and on the day before Christmas a napping Damien was surrounded by thousands of cards, letters, drawings, poems, toys and more from hundreds of people touched by his plight and his simple request.

A man in South Carolina heard about Damien on a Myrtle Beach radio station and found his way to the little single-wide trailer off Burns Road, bringing cards and food. Another man from a church in Sampson County contacted the family about bringing gifts for Damien and his siblings. Robeson County Sheriff Ken Sealey dropped by to make Damien an honorary deputy and brought Santa Claus along to provide an early Christmas for the boy.

Damien's father John said he was overwhelmed. Not counting Wednesday's mail, Damien had received between 20,000 and 25,000 cards, his father said.

"Cards have come from all across the country,'' John Hammonds said. "They have not arrived yet, but some cards have even been sent from England.

He continued, clearly struggling to control his emotions: "I can't even start to try and thank everyone who has helped with this. Please put in the story that I thought at one time I'd be able to write everyone a thank you note, but there's just too many. There is just no way I can respond to 20,000 cards. We just want to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and gifts."

Teachers, staff members and students from every school in Robeson County have either hand delivered or mailed cards to Damien. Among them was Magnolia Elementary School, where Damien attended kindergarten for a time.

Hammonds said that churches, hospitals, law enforcement agencies - including the state Highway Patrol - fire departments, emergency medical units, soldiers from Fort Bragg, and others from Robeson County and beyond have contributed.

Hammonds said life has been rough for his son since he was diagnosed with the disease on June 24, 2005, at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. Damien endured months of treatments, including six rounds of chemotherapy, surgery to remove a tumor in his shoulder and a bone marrow transplant.

There was a brief stretch when the cancer was in remission, but by January of this year, the cancer had spread. Damien began receiving hospice care this past summer after doctors said there was nothing more they could do.

"Neuroblastoma affects everyone differently," Hammonds said. "An average of about 800 children in the U.S. each year are diagnosed with the disease. In about 15 percent of the cases it can be cured.

"It's in God's hands now. All this with the cards and all has just been a miracle. I'll never be able to thank everyone for what they've done."

One of Damien's relatives, Wanda Stewart, said she would love to see one more miracle.

"Damien would be thrilled to get a card from the president," she said. "Maybe Congessman (Mike) McIntyre or the Make-A-Wish Foundation could make that happen."