Strangers Sent More Than 6,000 Birthday Cards to This Young Cancer Patient

One 8-year-old girl just celebrated her birthday with a little help from strangers all over the world — and she may have set a new record in the process.

At just 13 months old, Olivia Enderle was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. Due to a large malignant tumor in her abdomen, Olivia had her left kidney surgically removed, underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy, and spent more than 200 consecutive days in the hospital.

To make her daughter's eighth birthday on March 26 one for the books, Emily Enderle posted a plea on her Facebook page, Fight For Olivia, asking family, friends, and strangers to send her cards in the mail. Emily set the goal at receiving 100 birthday cards, but boy, was her estimate off!

Soon, those hundreds turned into thousands, as strangers from nearly all 50 states — and even China! — sent celebratory messages and gifts to Olivia's home in Michigan. Much to her mother's surprise, they've gotten nearly 6,000 cards to date, and the tally is still rising although the 8-year-old's birthday has already passed. "We are very amazed by the response from this. It has been such an amazing output of love and generosity," Emily told ABC 7.

And it looks like even local officials got in on the birthday fun, as mailmen, police, and firefighters visited Olivia's house to help her celebrate.