NATCHITOCHES, La. — A mom in Louisiana hopes her request to send Christmas cards to her son will be heard across the country.

He has autism and recently experienced a hearing loss.

Jennifer Hill-Robertson said the gift of a Christmas Card from a stranger does much more than just make the 10-year-old happy.

Sean Stewart was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder five years ago.

Even with his struggles, he lives life with a smile on his face.

“He’s definitely a person who shows that, despite the odds, he’s willing to and he’s tried so hard to break this idea of what people speculate, or what people think about with people with special needs. He is definitely breaking the mold.”

One of the boy’s favorite things is to get mail. Last year, his mom came up with the Christmas card idea and he received 450 of them. “Just the sheer joy that he gets from getting mail, it’s amazing to me. You would think I bought him a car.”

Jennifer wants everyone to see how Sean can still live a fulfilling life even with autism. She said the Christmas cards helped this once nonverbal child learn to better communicate.

“I want to give hope to other families, look how far we’ve come, and this can happen too. He’s just a precious child.”

“Merry Christmas and happy New Year,” Sean said.

She said the Christmas card campaign also helps her son develop new interests in things … like collecting stamps and stickers.

Here’s Sean’s address: