A dying boy wishes to be famous, and the world is helping him

(CNN)A dying 8-year-old boy has one wish: He wants to be famous.

His town of Westerly, Rhode Island, helped make that wish come true with one grand gesture Sunday. More than 2,500 people spelled out a message of strength for Dorian Murray, who has been battling rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer, since he was 4.

"You don't see compassion and solidarity like this every day," said drone photographer Petr Hejl, who filmed the heartwarming event. "Thousands of people showed up on a pretty chilly day just to do this."

Hejl used two drones to capture a time-lapse video of people spelling out#DStrong, the hashtag the Murray family has been using to grant the boy's final wish. Tim Yakairis, a friend of Hejl's, organized the event and enlisted Hejl's help.

Eight-year-old Dorian Murray

The story of #DStrong started in January. When the family learned Dorian's cancer was terminal, they stopped treatment so their son could go home.