ATLANTA — A family is trying to make the holidays a little brighter for their 2-year-old stuck in the hospital this holiday season. They're asking everyone around Atlanta to get involved to help make him feel loved.
Nova Stahl's family said his smile has been hard to come by since he's been in the hospital for four months fighting cancer. They're hoping to put a smile on his face since he won't be able to come home for Christmas.
"We have a mini Christmas tree, we have garland, he has a little Christmas outfit and we have hats for him," said his mother, Jozlon Stahl.
His family decorated the room at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for him.
"He loves the Christmas balls. He loves to throw them, pull them off of stuff, he absolutely loves them," she said.
The holidays have always been special for their family - but this year - it looks a little different.
Nova was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma in the summer. He and his family have been in the hospital every day since - and they don't know when they'll get to go home.
"We missed Halloween, we missed Thanksgiving, we will probably miss Christmas, and just depending on when his surgery is scheduled, we may miss his birthday in February," the toddler's mother said.
Jozlon Stahl said it's hard to learn about Nova's diagnosis and difficult to watch him suffer.
"I hate that it was the answer. I was more grateful that we finally had an answer. We had been doing this for so long, I was tired of seeing my kid almost die in front of me. So once we finally had the answer, it was like, 'what can we do to move forward? What can we do to fix this,'" she said.
Instead of getting ready to open Christmas presents at home this year, Nova is getting ready for five rounds of chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant and radiation treatments to keep the cancer that started growing on his spine at bay. His mom said it was all really overwhelming.
"We didn't want to talk about it at first, we wanted to be by ourselves, but as we started to talk about it and open up a little more, my mom started getting a bunch of emails and texts and phone calls asking, are we doing Christmas cards," she said.
Nova's grandma decided to organize a Christmas card drive, so the 2-year-old will have a lot to open Christmas Day. They're asking people to send cards to a P.O. Box they have set up. They are also collecting cards for other kids on the floor who will be there over the holidays as well.
"I wish we could be home," she said. "We are working towards that. I miss being in my own comfort zone, watching him run around. But unfortunately we do have to stay here."
For anyone who wants to do more than send a Christmas card, Jozlon Stahl said their family would be so grateful if people would donate blood. She said there is a national blood shortage and she's seeing firsthand how desperately it's needed as her son goes in for a sixth blood transfusion this week.
To send cards to Nova and other children at the hospital, use the following address:
P.O. Box 986
Milledgeville, GA 31059