Strangers Band Together To Celebrate Halloween With A Terminally Ill Boy

Nick and Kira received news no parent should ever hear, their 5-year-old son, Alexandros Hurdakis, had terminal cancer.

Alexandros wasn't scared, though. In fact, he had one last wish, to see a haunted house. His parents were shocked when a group of strangers came together to deliver something even better.

Alexandros Hurdakis

Five-year-old Alexandros Hurdakis was diagnosed with ependymoma, a form of cancer that latches onto the brain and spinal cord.

While he fought a hard battle with chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple surgeries, it wasn't enough.

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One Last Wish

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The doctors told Nick and Kira, Alexandros' parents, the young boy probably had a week to live, and they should begin to prepare for the worst.

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Their brave son wasn't scared, though. He only wanted one last thing.

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He Wanted To See A Haunted House

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Robert Heiser/Unsplash
Robert Heiser/Unsplash
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Alexandros wanted to celebrate Halloween. His wish was to go to the haunted house in Niagara Falls. He wanted to see all of the decorations and monsters.

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Sadly, the doctors advised against it, saying it was best to stay close to home.

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A Family Friend To The Rescue

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The parents were heartbroken they couldn't give their son this one last gift. Thankfully, their family friend, Paula Tzouanakis Anderson, wasn't taking no for an answer.

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She hopped on their community Facebook page, asking neighbors for help.

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Time To Build A Haunted House!

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In this photo illustration, the Facebook logo seen displayed...
Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
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On the page, Paula explained the situation and asked for simple Halloween decorations to build a haunted house.

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If Alexandros couldn't see the haunted house, she was going to help bring one to him!

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The Community Was All In

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Little did Paula know that her post was going to be shared and gain traction.

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Soon, she had people reaching out left and right, wanting to help in any way they could.

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The Local Authorities Got Involved

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Jacky Lam/Unsplash
Jacky Lam/Unsplash
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Eventually, there were so many people planning Alexandros's haunted house that Paula had to contact the local police station.

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Once again, she explained what was happening to her friend's son and asked if they could block off the street for a Halloween block party. The officials were happy to do so!

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The Whole Neighborhood Showed Up

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On the day of the Halloween party, people paraded down the streets in costumes ranging from Darth Vader to Alexandros's favorite TV show character, the English Bulldog Rubble from Paw Patrol.

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There were even face painters and cotton candy vendors who came out to celebrate!

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1,000 People Came Out To Celebrate

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After all of the noise on the Facebook page, Paula expected a few hundred people to show up to the festivities.

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To her surprise, about 1,000 people came dressed up to show their support for the young boy.

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Emotions Ran Wild

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Speaking to CBS, Paula said, "I started crying."

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"So many individuals came together to make this night great." Alexandros's parents couldn't believe it, either. They were so grateful to everyone who made the day special for their son.

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There Were No Words For The Amount Of Love

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Nick told CBS, "We never expected so many people to help out. It was something else. There are no words."

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Even though their son was only five, Paula had a feeling he knew the party was for him.

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Alexandros Was Saying Hi To Everyone

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According to Paula, "[Alex] was waving to every single person in the crowd. He knew it was for him. You could see the love in his eyes."

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Even though he was tired, Alexandros had the best time.

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People Began Donating To The Family

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Even after the Halloween party came to an end, the people of the community didn't stop giving the family an outpouring of love.

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Many donated to their GoFundMe page, hoping even the tiniest donation would help with medical expenses.

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A Day Full Of Magic

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Halloween is a magical time, especially for children who can dress up as mythical creatures, their favorite characters, or even their heroes.

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But, having a community come together for a little boy was the most magical aspect of all.