Mark Enman is asking Canadians to help him and his siblings give their ailing parents a "Miracle on 34th Street moment" for Christmas.

He's collecting Christmas cards -- as many as possible -- from all over Canada and beyond, for his parents, Bev and Don Enman, who've both recently developed dementia and been placed in a long-term care home.

"I was on Facebook last Monday just chatting with my sister Dawn who lives in Germany and discussing how our mother loved this time of year and how right now is such a tough time for both of our parents, and wouldn't it be nice if we could do something to bring a little bit of that joy back?"

So he made a post on Facebook calling for Christmas cards and it quickly "spread like wildfire."

The Grade 4 teacher from Summerside, P.E.I., has already received more than 60 cards, some from as far away as Fort McMurray, Alta., and "it's only been two days, so it's just the tip of the iceberg."

Enman said his mom was always the source of Christmas spirit in their home. Her favourite things about the season were exchanging Christmas cards and watching Miracle on 34th Street.

When Enman was growing up, she'd hang Christmas cards on strings all over the house. Others, she'd tape around the door frames, a tradition Mark has continued with his family.

"They were things that my mother kept from year to year. When Christmas was over, she wouldn't discard them. The next year they'd be out and a part of the Christmas decor," Mark said.

Enman and his siblings Dawn, Brian and Barry hope to surprise their parents on Dec. 20 with a scene reminiscent of the famous moment in a Miracle of 34th Street where, to prove a man claiming to be Santa Claus is the real deal, huge bags of letters addressed to Santa are delivered to the courtroom.

"I'd love to say that its gonna be this moment of pure joy and happiness, but I don't know that, because they have good days and bad days, as most dementia patients have. I'm under no illusion that that day is going to be a good day, but I'm hoping it will."

If not, Mark said, he'll just go back the next day, or the next, until they're both lucid.

Then, he'll sit down with them, open the cards, and "share the message that are inside."

"I think that would be a special time to share with my parents," he said.

If you want to participate, you can send a card to:

Don and Bev Enman, C/O Summerset Manor

15 Frank Mellish Street

Summerside, P.E.I.

C1N 0H3