5 Most memorable stories of 2016 - Tom Haynes

It started as a simple wish.

Chase Howard is a 10-year-old boy with a rare and fatal form of Muscular Dystrophy. Instead of a party or presents, all Chase wanted was to receive birthday cards in the mail. FOX 5 picked up his story, and it quickly went viral.

“Completely out of character [from] what you’d expect from a child who wants things, all this child wanted was birthday cards," remarked Tom.

The response was overwhelming, as many responded to help fulfill Chase's birthday wish.

Tom reflected on the phenomenon:

It only took a few days after we broke the story before the news reached Iraq.

Although Chase was happily being flooded with cards from all over the world, the community didn't think that was enough.

The Georgia Department of Defense decided to give him one more birthday gift: they made him soldier for the day.

The entire community was touched and humbled by the story of Chase Howard.

"This started as a simple wish, and it turned into something so much bigger thanks to a community that cared," noted Tom.

Select which anchor's pick for Most Memorable Story of 2016 you would like to see next by clicking or tapping the link below their picture or NEXT.

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