Girl fights leukemia with Christmas wishes from thousands

BRIGHTON, Mich. – A southeastern Michigan girl who is battling leukemia has thousands of fans and the number continues to grow.

Emma Roberts of Brighton has received more than 4,500 Christmas cards since late November. It began as a social media campaign by a fellow Brighton resident who wanted to boost the 13-year-old’s morale.

“I feel bad for the mail lady,” said Emma’s father, Tom Roberts, who noted that deliveries sometimes come twice a day.

Emma has spent 48 days in the hospital since she was diagnosed in April, The Livingston Daily Press & Argus reported . She is unable to attend seventh-grade classes at Scranton Middle School.

Her family of five opens the cards together and reads them to each other. Cards have arrived from Iceland, South Korea, Sweden, Mexico and Australia. Some were sent by childhood cancer survivors and families affected by the disease.

“It makes me feel better that it is not just me fighting,” said Emma, who sleeps with some cards under her pillow. “It’s nice to know someone else fought hard and survived it.”

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Information from: Livingston Daily Press & Argus, http://www.livingstondaily.com