ALTAVISTA, Va. – A 5-year-old Altavista boy battling a rare kidney disease is asking people all over the world to send him cards for his birthday.
Almost every day, Karson Taylor runs to check the mail. It’s a sight some family members worried a year ago they might not see.
"I was in the hospital. My kidneys didn't work. They shut down," Karson said.
"We were told he was not going to survive," Karson’s grandmother Kim Taylor said.
Last June, Karson was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease called chronic nephrotic syndrome.
"Within the midst of 12 hours, he went from being a normal 4-year-old to doing everything in life to a child with this nephrotic syndrome," Kim said.
He spent his fifth birthday in the intensive care unit, so his family is determined to make his sixth birthday different.
"I really want cards from people all around the world,” Karson said.
People started sending Karson cards when he was sick in the hospital.
"They thought I was special to them," Karson said.
Now, women in his grandmother's book club have launched a campaign asking people around the world to send him cards for his birthday next weekend.
“It perks him up from being the sad little boy laying in the bed like ‘I can't move,’ to ‘Oh my gosh, these people are with me,’" Kim said.
So far, he's already received cards from Arizona, California, Belgium, Japan and Australia.
While Karson’s grandmother said he's on the path towards needing a transplant, for now, they're focusing on what makes him happy.
"He didn't ask for this life sentence with this diagnosis and if giving Karson a card is keeping him healthy, then please send him a card," Kim said.
Karson’s birthday is Sept. 7. You can mail a card to 1 Sourwood Lane, Altavista, Virginia 24517.