Autumn leaves blanket the streets and lawns in St. George, Ont., but rather than Halloween pumpkins and cobwebs the houses are decked out in Christmas lights and inflatable snowmen.

Santa’s even been here, two months early.

The unseasonable holiday cheer is all for one of the small town’s youngest residents. Evan Leversage, 7, is dying.

His mother, Nicole Wellwood, was recently given the worst news imaginable: his tumour, diagnosed five years ago, has grown and spread.

Doctors told her Evan likely won’t make it to Christmas.

“I just looked at the ground,” she said. “I felt very shut off, just distant. I was not willing to accept what they were telling me.”

She turned to her family, asking them to help her celebrate the holidays early, so Evan could have one last Christmas.

When Wellwood’s cousin Shelly heard her “little mischief monkey” was dying, she said her heart broke.

She reached out to neighbours, creating a poster to ask if any of them would be willing to put up lights and decorations to celebrate with Evan.

What happened next was beyond her wildest dreams.

Brandy King, owner of a local flower shop, put a picture of the poster online, and news of Evan’s last Christmas exploded.

Decorations, signs of support and lights took over the town almost overnight — but it didn’t stop there.

On Saturday, carollers, a snow machine and a parade complete with floats, fire trucks, police cruisers and horses — even Saint Nick himself — all passed by Evan’s house.

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More than a thousand people attended the event in St. George, about 100 kilometres west of Toronto, and even more wished Evan well online or mailed him Christmas cards.

Wellwood said she could hardly believe the response and said her son is just as mystified.

“He looked at the lights and asked me ‘why?’ ” she said. “My response is ‘you have a whole town that loves you.’ ”

If there’s one thing Evan knows, it’s that he’s loved. His smile, missing teeth and all, still shines brighter than any string of lights.

“Even his mobility issues haven’t diminished who he is,” said Shelly.

Like any young boy, Evan loves SpongeBob, Minions and trucks.

His stuffed penguin, Baby, has been by his side through every stage of his treatment, tucked in beside him every night.

Late at night, Evan sometimes crawls into his mother’s bed.

“He wakes me up and says, ‘I’m not going to leave you, Mommy.’ ”

It’s in the quiet moments when Evan’s asleep that the reality of what’s to come washes over her.

“It’s going to be a very devastating moment, and I’m not going to be able to give him the celebration of life he deserves,” she said. “That’s why this means so much.”

While the celebration has meant the world to the family, beyond parades, cards and good wishes lies an undeniable truth.

Angels aren’t found at the top of Christmas trees. They’re cousins, flower shop owners, complete strangers and, of course, little boys with hearts so big they bring an entire town together.

A GoFundMe page under the name “One Last Christmas” has been set up to help the family over the next few months.