A Michigan mother who received the devastating news this week that her 4-year-old son is terminally ill with brain cancer is hoping social media will bring a miracle to her family.

Tammi Curtis Carr took her son, Chad, to doctors for a check-up to make sure he was ok after falling over on and hitting his nose on Monday. But the MRI scan picked up something she never expected – an inoperable tumor on his brain stem.

Now little Chad is fighting for his life with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a condition with an average survival rate of just nine to 12 months, Fox News reports.

Tammi immediately turned to her Facebook page for support, writing: "We now need prayers and it's my hope that this goes viral and millions fall in love with [Chad] and send him prayers.

"It's going to take a miracle and I believe it can happen and I hope you will help and spread his story!"

The football team from the University of Michigan have already got behind Chad's cause.  They paid him a visit at the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor on Thursday night and will be wearing orange wristbands with the words "pray for a miracle" at their game on Saturday.

On Friday, the family gathered around Chad, the youngest of three sons, for a party in the hospital to celebrate his fourth birthday.

"Happy 4th Birthday to our beautiful little boy. Here's to many more. #chadtough," Tammi tweeted.

Tammi told Fox News about her hope for Chad.

"There's got to be a reason that this is happening," she said.

"I know that God listens. I want an army to pray for my little guy. I don't want anyone to stop praying for him.

"We have fantastic doctors, and some kids have survived. It's still not promising but with prayer we can get that miracle."