A schoolboy brought festive cheer to long-term hospital patients with home-made cards on Christmas Day.

Mason DiVuolo, 7, went to visit seniors in the Cooper Ward at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital before he opened his presents.

Mason, from Paget, said: “Some people don’t get Christmas because they have to stay in the hospital.

“They don’t always get presents or people who visit them, so we do it so that we could make their Christmas special.”

Mason’s mother, Kelly, explained that the family had delivered Christmas cards to hospital patients every year since Mason was about 2.

She added that Mason, as he got older, took control of the tradition and she had helped him ever since.

Ms DiVuolo said: “We wandered around the new hospital until we got to the fourth floor.

“Normally they let us just drop them off at reception, but this year they let us actually go into one of the wards and meet all of the patients.”

Mason said that he made about 20 Christmas cards with his mother’s help and decorated them with pictures of reindeer and Christmas trees.

He added that each card wished the reader a merry Christmas and a quick recovery.

Mason said that the patients told him they were grateful to see him and that he had made their day.

He added: “It felt nice to be there and give people cards, talk to them for a few minutes and wish them to get better soon.

“When I’m sick, my mom takes care of me, so we have to do the same for people at the hospital.”

His mother said: “It actually brought me to tears to see a few people that were very emotional when Mason handed them the card.

“It just makes my heart really warm.”

The youngster said that next year he planned to make up 100 Christmas cards and get football team-mates from North Village Community Club to join in.

He also hopes to bring his little sister along, even though she was “still in my mom’s tummy”.

Ms DiVuolo said: “The baby girl is due on January 17.

“She won’t be quite a year old yet in Christmas, but he still wants to bring her, so we’ll see.”