Arson Survivor Receives 480,000-plus Christmas Cards, Disney Trip

The 8-year-old arson survivor whose story about her desire for Christmas cards prompted an outpouring of holiday cheer from around the world is getting a lot more than she ever asked for.

Sa’fyre Terry was the only survivor of a May 2013 blaze in Schenectady, New York, that killed her father and three siblings. Family friends say Terry suffered burns on more than 75 percent of her body and had her right hand and left foot amputated as a result of her extensive injuries.

This Christmas, she received a tree-shaped Christmas card holder and wanted to receive enough cards to fill up the tree. After family friends shared Terry’s photo and story on Facebook, the story went viral and she began receiving cards, donations and support from around the globe.

In a Facebook post on a page monitoring Terry’s recovery, supporters wrote she received more than 480,000 Christmas cards through Monday, a number that has undoubtedly increased. Supporters wrote she had received a card from all 50 states — including one from the Obama family — as well as countries like Dubai, Malaysia, Australia, France, Brazil, China and India.

Students at the nearby University of Albany also presented her with a robotic right hand.

According to a Facebook posting, Terry also recently learned that she’ll be spending part of February at Walt Disney World, courtesy of Baking Memories 4 Kids. The nonprofit organization sells chocolate chip cookies online at BakingMemories4Kids.com and uses the proceeds to send children with life-threatening illnesses to amusement parks in Florida.

A crowdsourced fundraising page that had been established to help Terry’s caregivers with a host of expenses had a goal of $15,000, but had generated more than $398,000 as of Thursday.