(NBC)
A small town in Utah is celebrating the holidays early this year in honor of terminally ill four-year-old Ethan Van Leuven, who wants to make the most of his few remaining days.
Van Leuven was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of two. He has been fighting the disease ever since. Last week, his parents received a devastating update from doctors: Ethan’s disease is no longer treatable.
The boy’s father Merrill reveals, “He’s got two days to a couple of weeks left to live, so that’s when we thought we would make the most of the last days he has remaining with us.” To make that happen, their community of West Jordan, Utah has banded together and helped them celebrate the holidays with Ethan early.
Earlier this week, the town held Halloween a full ten days ahead of schedule, with Ethan going trick-or-treating in a Superman costume. Now the town is getting ready to stage Christmas in October, so the family’s neighbors are decorating their homes. They have also already celebrated Ethan’s fifth birthday a month in advance, holding a big parade in his honor.
His mother Jennifer is touched by the town’s response, saying, “Ethan’s having a blast. It’s so much fun to watch his face light up… This makes it just a little bit easier, just to see how many people love and support him.”
Check out the video of his story below.
