A young boy has made the headlines after asking Santa for a bone marrow donor.

10-year-old John Erick from Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, has been on a waiting list for a bone marrow transplant for six years while fighting sickle cell anemia – a blood disorder that affects red blood cells and causes swelling, vision problems, infections, delayed growth, anemia, and episodes of pain.

While most children his age are writing Christmas letters asking Santa for new toys and gadgets, John shared his only wish with the Brazilian news outlet G1.

As the boy explained, he wants Santa to help him find a bone marrow donor he needs for a transplant that would turn his life around for the better.

John further explained that all he wants is to be able to swim at the beach and play with a ball again.

“I’ll be able to do everything. That’s my dream,” the boy said.

“My biggest dream is to be cured. For me that is like winning an entire planet just to play. Today I miss going to the beach and playing ball with my friends. When I’m cured, I’ll go back to doing that.”

Speaking out was also John Erick’s biggest admirer – his mother Grazy Kelly – who revealed that her son was diagnosed with the disorder when he was just months old.

She, too, explained that John wants nothing more than to “be a normal child” and play with his friends under the sun.

“He goes through this whole situation smiling. He is a warrior and he taught me how to be a warrior. I had never entered a fight like that and he taught me how to be strong,” Kelly expressed.

Our thoughts are with John Erick, and we hope his Christmas wish comes true.