Growing up, Sara-Catherine Bellamy’s mother always made the holidays extra memorable for her family.

Her mother, Tonya Strother Hebert, 52, divorced when Bellamy was eight years old and worked three separate jobs in Louisiana to support her family.

“During the hardest times—like when we had to light candles because the electricity was out—she made it feel fun, like it was just part of the adventure,” Bellamy, now 26, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Anything I wrote on my list to Santa would be there under the tree on Christmas morning, without fail.”

“We had so many special traditions that made the holidays feel meaningful,” she says. “One of our annual traditions was to write letters and fill gift bags for the homeless. My mother would drive us to my grandmother’s house, where we would pack the gift bags and pass them out to individuals in need across town. After that, we would participate in Christmas caroling at a nursing home located near my grandmother’s house.

But this year, Bellamy, who now lives in Los Angeles, anticipated a slightly different Christmas. Hebert received an unexpected diagnosis of an uncommon form of basaloid squamous cell cancer while visiting Bellamy in Los Angeles for Mother’s Day earlier this summer. Since then, Hebert has lost his abilities to speak, move, and eat.

According to the National Institutes of Health, signs of this kind of cancer include a painful throat, trouble swallowing, hoarseness, earache, and, depending on the location of the tumor, a palpable lump in the neck.

Bellamy shares with me that despite facing numerous challenges in her life, including her ongoing battle with cancer, she consistently finds hope and positivity. “When her nurses come over, no matter how much pain she’s in or the treatments she’s undergoing, she’s the first one to start dancing—even at just 78 pounds.”

“Her strength, resilience, and joy in those little moments inspire me every day,” according to her. “She truly embodies the spirit of love and generosity, and I’m so grateful to have her in my life.”

As the holidays approached, Bellamy, despite her mother’s illness, came up with a plan to maintain the Christmas spirit while talking with her grandmother about their preparations over the phone.

“I said, ‘Let’s still make the gift bags, but what if, instead of handing them out, we surprise Mom this year?'” Bellamy remembers informing her granny. “I proposed that everyone send her a letter and come to my house to make her feel special. My Mimi went on to say, ‘Why don’t we Christmas carol for her instead of going to the nursing facility this year?'”

“My Poppy hesitated, questioning whether it would make her feel old.” What if it makes her sad?” Bellamy adds. “But I reassured him that if we kept the songs uplifting and fun—none of the slow, somber ones like ‘Silent Night”—it would bring her so much joy.”

After Bellamy, the oldest of 13 cousins, suggested it, everyone was excited to help her. “We’re a super close family—it’s like having 13 siblings—and we all rallied together,” she jokes.

“I planned everything so my mom wouldn’t suspect a thing,” she remarks. “We left the garden gate open and instructed everyone to park down the street so she wouldn’t see the automobiles. I went back home after the gift bag party and told her we had finished for the night. “She had no idea what was going to happen.”

“We led everyone quietly through the gate, and when we opened the door, we stayed outside because of her chemo treatments and her immune system,” she tells me. “We started singing outside the big windows, and it was incredible to see her face light up.”

@sara__catherine I love you so much momma ✨ – – – #mom #cancer #christmas #family #special #magical ♬ original sound – Sara-Catherine🐚🌺🦋🌸

When Hebert realized what was going on, she grabbed her camera and began recording.

Bellamy says all she could think of was how pleased she was to see her mother smiling. With all she’s going through and how bloated she is from therapy, even the smallest grin seemed like the finest present of all.

When her mother took out her camera to capture the event, Bellamy says she couldn’t help but cry tears of delight.

“My dad had tears in his eyes, and you could just feel the love in the air,” she tells me. “All of her siblings, parents, and all of my cousins were present, and it was beautiful. Later, she wrote me a text that I will never forget. She stated that it seemed like God was right there with us that night, and it dramatically transformed her Christmas.

She goes on, “It was such a magnificent experience—something none of us will ever forget. As we all know, being there for loved ones is crucial, especially when they need it most.

@sara__catherine Replying to @Kelsey Anderson you can say that again 🥹 – – #family #mom #christmas #love #cancer #magical #special ♬ original sound – Sara-Catherine🐚🌺🦋🌸

Later, Bellamy shared the video on TikTok, where it became popular, receiving over 3.9 million views and 1,000 comments. Throughout her mother’s illness, Bellamy says she used social media to connect with other young people and mothers who had similar situations.

“I posted it, hoping it might inspire others who are feeling down about their situations to find ways to create happiness—not just for themselves, but for the people they love most,” according to her. “Because making the person you love, who’s suffering the most, happy brings indescribable joy.”

“Reading through the comments has been so emotional,” the woman says. “Watching the outpouring of compassion and goodwill brought tears to my eyes. There are no hostile comments, a rare occurrence on social media where negativity often overwhelms. But this time, it’s all about optimism, which seems especially relevant over the holidays. It makes Christmas seem like Christmas again, knowing that there are so many wonderful individuals in the world.

“If this ends up being Mom’s last holiday, I’ll cherish this memory forever,” she claims, “knowing we did everything possible to make it her best one yet.”