Two weeks ago, Guy Waltman rushed to his home in Albany, N.Y., where he received shocking news. His father, Stephen, had been diagnosed with a Grade 3 brain tumor — with Grade 4 being the worst — and would soon undergo a complicated surgery.

Since finding out about his father’s illness, Guy, an undeclared freshman in the College of Human Ecology, claims his family has received hundreds of get-well cards. But among the many best wishes, his father has one favorite.

‘It’s from my friend Chris Wilner. He won’t let me read it, but he carries it around with him wherever he goes,’ Guy said. ‘My dad is kind of a macho man, so seeing him walking around with a homemade card is a really funny sight.’

Days after the Waltmans received the news, Guy’s best friend, Patrick Smalanskas, posted the Facebook event ‘Cards for Mr. Waltman.’ The freshman civil engineering major created the event, which calls for attendees to send get-well cards to help lift Guy’s father’s spirits.

The response has been enormous. Since its creation two weeks ago, the Waltman family has received approximately 200 cards, and more arrive in the mail every day. As of Monday, the group had reached 882 members, and the event even received some publicity on Syracuse’s Z89 radio station.

‘The response has been unbelievable,’ Guy said. ‘It just proves that there is decency in the world.’

Syracuse University students are not the only ones sending cards. Many are friends and family of the Waltmans, including former high school sports teams Guy and his sister, Kate, played for, and others who have heard of the effort by word of mouth. The event has even gone bi-coastal, as a friend of the Waltman family had her entire third-grade class from California send a batch of homemade cards.

‘I don’t know who everyone is,’ Guy said. ‘But I read every single card when I go home.’

‘Cards for Mr. Waltman’ was originally scheduled to end March 1, but due to the number of people getting involved, the event was extended to May 12. All are encouraged to submit as many cards as possible before then.

Creators of the cards are inspired to help because they truly want to offer the Waltmans encouragement during this difficult time.

‘I thought it would be cool to be apart of something bigger than myself,’ said Jillian Burgoyne, an undeclared freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, who sent two cards this past week. ‘I don’t know Guy or the family personally, but my best friend had a similar issue and I knew how much something like this would have meant to her and her family.’

Guy’s friend Kellie Solomon, a sophomore engineering and computer science major, has stepped up as well.

‘I sent it to everyone I knew, and I asked every single person I know to send cards,’ said Solomon. ‘My mom got her preschool classes to make cards, and my sister got all her friends in high school, and even my art teacher asked her art kids to make them.’

Guy said his dad is currently adjusting to new medications for his upcoming surgery and may not fully comprehend why he is receiving the cards. But he sits in his chair by the window every day, waiting for the mailman’s arrival. And sure enough, the mailbox is stuffed with dozens of cards, offering new hope and encouragement to the household.

Guy’s sister, Kate, a junior at Le Moyne College, posted an update on the event’s page: ‘Just wanted to share that the results of this have been so amazing to see — we have piles of cards at home! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!’

‘We are all just taken aback,’ Guy said. ‘I mean, who are we? We’re just the Waltman family. There’s nothing special about us.’

But Solomon disagrees.

‘I just know that if he’s that great of a guy, his dad and the rest of his family must be amazing people, too,’ Solomon said. ‘When I and his other friends heard about his dad, we just wanted to try to help him and his family get through it.’

ncbattaf@syr.edu

Published on March 6, 2011 at 12:00 pm