Dozens of Valentine’s Day cards sent to Taunton teen with brain disease

TAUNTON, Mass. (WLNE) — Love was in the air in Taunton on Valentine’s Day, as almost 200 cards were sent to a teenager battling a degenerative brain disease.

An outpouring of love for Tijon Webster, with dozens of Valentine’s cards showing up at the family’s doorstep.

Tijon was diagnosed with pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) four years ago and has dealt with adversity at every turn.

Coming into this Valentine’s Day, his family was looking for some way to show him how much support there is out there.

They connected with Benjamin’s Fund, which sends cards out to terminally ill kids every holiday.

The fund delivered, and then some.

“I could never imagine this to be honest with you,” said Nicole Jones, Tijon’s mom. “To see this, it really… I know it makes him feel loved.”

“He knows he’s loved by his family,” she added. “But this shows him another level of how much people see how he is and who he is.”

In addition to the call for Valentine’s cards, the family has a GoFundMe, raising money for a wheelchair mobility van to try and make Tijon’s life easier.

“We’re going to try and get a background because we keep hearing different things of the age difference of how much this will last,” Jones said. “Because you know… So many things change so fast.”

“We took the [evaluation] in September,” she continued. “Tijon was walking with his braces every day with nothing, and now we’re pretty much wheelchair bound.”

It will be hard to send thank you’s back for every card they received, but Jones wants to make sure the community knows how much this meant.

“I can’t thank you guys enough,” Jones said. “Tijon appreciates it so much. He looks forward to coming home everyday waiting to open them and read them.”

“He reads every one of them out loud to me and his aunt,” she added. “It’s really appreciated. We can’t thank you all enough.”