Hundreds and hundreds of people all across the country have rallied behind an Arkansas boy who has one simple request, proving that sometimes it’s the smallest things, like a handwritten letter, that can make the biggest difference.
This is especially true for 9-year-old Louie Schneider who is home in hospice care.
“I love them so much,” Louie said.
Louie was in the foster system until he was 5 years old when Kristy Schneider and her husband adopted him and his brother.
“They have brought life and joy into our life,” Schneider said.
Louie has a chromosomal abnormality that's caused developmental delays. His family didn't anticipate a year and a half ago, that his body would start to steadily decline, unresponsive to medication.
“We’ve heard doctor after doctor say ‘we've never seen anything like this’," Schneider said.
His autonomic nervous system is failing, keeping his blood pressure low, with a pacemaker doing his heart's work.
“No one knows what is happening and it doesn't make sense so truthfully at this point, we know the Lord alone counts his days. They didn’t expect him to be here at this time this week and yet he’s still fighting," Schneider said.
After six weeks in ICU, he returned home for hospice care a week and a half ago. That’s when the letters started rolling in.
“We open every single one," Schneider said.
He’s already received around 600. ‘Project Zero’ has helped spread the word that he’s aiming to get mail from each state. He’s even received some special mail from The White House and football stars, including J.J. Watt.
Each letter is giving Louie another reason to smile and a reminder that he's not alone in his fight.
"Thank you for my cards," Louie said.
Mail letters to Louie here:
Louie
C/O Project Zero
10 Kings Court
Little Rock, Ark. 72211
As of Thursday, he has received letters from every state except the following: New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia.
