"He's the epitome of what the Christmas spirit is all about," his grandmother, Annette Peck, tells PEOPLE

Terminally Ill 10-Year-Old Boy Celebrates Last Christmas in November: 'He Knows One Day He Will Go to Heaven,' Says His Grandmother

The Peck family is celebrating Christmas early – and they have a special wish before the holiday season gets underway.

When doctors told 10-year-old Andrew Peck, who suffers from a degenerative brain disorder called leukodystrophy, that he only had six months to a year to live in April, his family decided to celebrate Andrew’s favorite holiday in November.

Get push notifications with news, features and more.

They didn’t want to risk him missing one last Christmas in his Portsmouth, Ohio, home.

Andrew’s grandmother and full-time caretaker, Annette Peck, has special events planned for the entire month, including a visit from Santa, family gatherings and lots of holiday cards.

“His absolute favorite thing in the entire world is opening cards,” she tells PEOPLE. “Not even really presents, it’s the cards that he loves.”

Neighbors are also supporting Andrew – who can no longer eat or bathe by himself – by decorating their houses with lights and trees and sending him Christmas cards with words of encouragement.

“He just has this smile that lights up the entire room,” neighbor Mike Bell tells PEOPLE. “And when you hand him a card, he squeals and it makes your heart so happy.”

Andrew’s health has been declining over the past few weeks and his family fears they may soon lose their “smiling, brave” Andrew.

“We are trying to stay completely positive, and until his time has come, we are going to celebrate this holiday for him,” says Annette, 55. “He knows what’s going on, but it doesn t seem to bring down his joyful mood. He loves Christmas.”

Despite Andrew’s arduous disorder – the 10-year-old has to use a wheelchair and is in constant pain – the spirited boy continues to spread joy with his “contagious smile” and by waving his hand to communicate happiness to his family.

“I’ve always been very honest with him – he knows he’s sick and that one day he will go to heaven where he won’t have to be in a wheelchair anymore,” says Annette. “We just hope he enjoys this last Christmas and gets lots of cards. He’s the epitome of what the Christmas spirit is all about.”