“Thanks for the Diversion” — 12-Foot Skeleton Family Receives Surprising Note From Cancer Patient

When it comes to lawn ornaments, there are some legends of the game that are good for year-round decorating. You've got the plastic Flamingos, which were created by a guy who looks like he was born for the sole purpose of creating plastic lawn Flamingos.

Then, there's lawn gnomes which, for whatever reason caught on, and it had nothing to do with what is arguably the greatest gnome-themed cartoon of all time.

But when it comes to seasonal decorations, folks definitely have their favorites. For Christmas time, you've got the classic reindeer pulling Santa Clause along in his sled. Maybe a giant inflatable Frosty the Snowman.

However, the title of greatest seasonal lawn decoration, and it's not even close and yes this is being measured against all holidays (suck it, Easter Bunny) and that's Home Depot's giant 12-foot Skeleton, Skelly.

No one knows where Skelly came from and honestly, it doesn't matter — it's just an awesome decoration. And it's clear that folks absolutely love it: there's a reason these things sell out so quickly that they're being pre-ordered by customers as early as July.

And while a ginormous 12-foot skeleton doesn't seem like the basis of a heartwarming story, that's exactly what happened in this post that's going viral on Reddit.

Uploaded by user @cheza_mononoke in the r/mademesmile sub, a duo of photos were lifted from a 12 Foot Skeleton owners' Facebook group. Enthusiasts in this group appear to share their skeleton setups and, probably, anecdotes about what it's like owning such a monstrous piece of decor.

But this story wasn't about folks TP'ing their T-Rex height lawn ornament, but a stranger who was undergoing radiation treatments. The individual left a kind note for the 12-foot Skeleton owners' family, thanking them for a welcome distraction that helped to keep their minds off of the daunting medical procedures.

The letter, dated September 10th, 2024, begins with some kind words from the stranger.

"I have been driving past your house daily for the past 19 days on my way to radiation treatments. A highlight of my journey has been checking to see who else has joined the bone family & what they are up to."

Make no bones about it: they made it very clear how much they loved driving past the family of prosthetic skeletons day in, day out, and seeing the new additions made by the 12-foot skeleton owner.

Their letter contained some good news — their final treatment date was within reach. However, this meant that they no longer needed to take the route.

Thought that didn't mean they would stop driving past the skeleton owner's house because it brought them so much joy. "Thankfully, Wed. Sept. 11, is my final radiation treatment, though I may need to continue to drive by once in a while to see what's new. Thanks for the diversion, Tammy," the letter read.

Presumably, the owner was left touched by Tammy's note, because they went on to make sure that their Bone Zone was outfitted with a slew of signs welcoming her to come and take a selfie with the skeleton family.

The next picture in the Reddit post showed a photograph of the 12-foot skeletons in question along with a ton of other Skeletons on their front lawn. Two of them held a sign that read: "TAMMY" in all caps.

Another sign smack dab in the front of the lawn says: "FEEL FREE TO TAKE A SELFIE WITH US!"

The other ghoulies held up signs congratulating her on successfully completing her treatment. One skeleton proudly (well, as proud as a Halloween decoration can be) showcased a sign, covered in hearts that read: "way to go Tammy!"

Other signs said: "YOU DID GREAT" and "LAST TREATMENT DAY 9-11-24" along with "YOU GOT THIS" and "NEVER GIVE UP."

My personal favorite is the seated cheerleading skeleton who is holding a sign that's just a bunch of cute, red heart designs.

Redditors who saw the post were touched by Tammy's happy note as well as the Skeleton Family's kind words of encouragement to the person undergoing radiation therapy.

"That’s what humanity is about. Kindness goes so far, folks. Be like both of these people, please," one person penned.

Another wrote in the comments section of the video: "Stuff like this makes me regain my faith in humanity a tiny bit."

While someone else shared just how much 12-foot skeleton owners love their creepy pals by sharing an anecdote of their own: "my neighbor has a 12 foot skeleton right outside his house. They have it up all year long. She adores Halloween. They named him David Boney lol."