Nelson, who has always dreamed of being part of a marching band and playing his own snare drum, finally got the gift he had wanted since he was a young boy.

Dozens of (former) members of the Long Beach Junior Concert Band were brought together by a posting from Nelson's mom on the band's Facebook page.

Tom McNamara, a former band drummer, says:

"She put a notice out, asking on Thursday night asking if there's any way possible that somebody had an old drum or something that would be a great Christmas gift for Nelson."

Within minutes, her call for help was answered. The band took over and raised money to buy it themselves. A shiny red and gold drum came up just for Nelson.

It didn't take long before band members marched down Nelson's street to present him with the drum. When the band showed up, he ran out of the house as fast as he could, and played the air drums to the beat of the sound with his arms flailing.

Nelson, who suffers from partial paralysis on his right side, got the surprise of his life, exclaiming: "Unbelievable! This is wonderful!"