Ghana defender Jeff Schlupp is among a group of Leicester City players who have sent a personal message to an eight-year-old fan in intensive care at Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Jamie Vardy, Andy King, Riyad Mahrez, Jeffrey Schlupp and Andrej Kramaric made the video message for Ellis Page, star of the Text Ellis fund-raising campaign, who has been in intensive care for more than a week.
The youngster, from Barkby, has MECP2 duplication syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality which causes epilepsy and restricts development, leaving him unable to walk or talk.
Although Ellis has made amazing progress in recent months, he was admitted to hospital suffering from flu about 10 days before Christmas.
The youngster had to be transferred to intensive care when he took a turn for the worse.
Dad Richard Page said: "Thankfully, Ellis is beginning to turn a corner. He is being weaned off the sedation, but it will still be a long process.
"The message from the City players was brilliant. It put a smile on all our faces.
"We always make sure Ellis has his lucky number seven City shirt on, as each time he wears it the team seems to keep winning.
"While he has been in hospital, we have put it on the end of his bed."
Richard, his wife Leanne and their youngest son, two-year-old Theo, spent Christmas at Ellis's hospital bedside.
Richard said: "We haven't really let on to Theo it is Christmas.
"Both he and Ellis got presents when Father Christmas visited the hospital but we will have our Christmas when Ellis is home.
"He is really starting to make progress now and the consultant was very up beat."
Ellis was diagnosed with MECP77 about four years ago. The condition causes epilepsy and restricted development. The family set about fund-raising for research into the condition. They have already donated £120,000 for research being carried out in America.