DAVENPORT, Fla. — To call the display in Christopher Bailey's front yard in Davenport a "pumpkin patch" would be a disservice.
- Bailey carves pumpkins year-round to display at Halloween
- Last year, Bailey's wife diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer
- GoFundMe page to benefit Moffitt Cancer Center
"Three-hundred-sixteen of them, all different pumpkins, they're all unique," Bailey said.
He's turned the orange orbs into "magical" works of art that delight children in his neighborhood.
"I think that it's really amazing, and I just started coming to this neighborhood for Halloween last year, and this is just my favorite house," said Brianna Gill, 9.
"I just get so into the Halloween spirit. I like all the pumpkins he sets up. I love what he's done this year with all the effects," said Payton James, 9.
Inside the "Pumpkin House" in Davenport. (Laurie Davison/Spectrum Bay News 9)
Bailey carves out time year-round to work in the pumpkins. Some feature well-known creepy characters.
But in 2017, Bailey and his wife faced something scarier than Halloween.
His wife, who is a non-smoker, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer.
"I remember the day we received the news and it was shock, and the question of 'Ok, what happens next?'" he said.
Bailey's wife is undergoing treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa and doing well.
So this year, as people pass through his "Pumpkin House," Bailey's working to collect donations for Moffitt as part of the "trick or treat" fun.
"It's more than just the cancer treatments," he explained. "Moffitt really treats her like family, which I so appreciate."
As for the display, Bailey sees it as a way to share the "boo-tiful" experience of life with others.
"It means the cancer isn't running our lives at all," he said. "There is much more to our lives than just that and we want to share that with everyone."
With Halloween ending, the Pumpkins House will be coming down, but Bailey will continue collecting donations through a GoFundMe page.
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