Heartbreaking letters to Santa shared by US Postal Service

The heartbreaking letters were shared online. Photo / Supplied

A little boy's sweet letter to Santa has broken the hearts of thousands online after he admitted he just wants to be loved.

The young boy, known only as Will, penned a letter to the man in red as part of the US Postal Service's "Operation Santa", an initiative that helps children and families in need at Christmas.

In his handwritten note, Will said all he wants for Christmas is to be loved the way he is.

He wrote: "Dear Santa, do you support the LGBTQ community?

"And if you can speak to God can you tell him I love him and [ask] if he loves me for being gay?

"Thank you. Love, Will."

The heartbreaking message was shared on USPS's website, where it was spotted by a woman called Nancy who posted it to Twitter.

"This letter to Santa broke my heart," she wrote.

A little boy named Will has left people in tears after writing to Santa saying he just wants to be loved. Photo / Supplied

Her tweet then went viral and has clearly struck a chord with thousands, racking up 200,000 likes and more than 22,000 retweets.

"This hurts my heart so much. I hope Will and all the other little LGBTQ+ babies know (and get told) they're so, so loved," one person wrote.

"Being a queer kid is so difficult. I hope this little boy knows that God does love him no matter what," another said.

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Others said they were "crying" and a "blubbering mess" after reading the note.

Some people also shared equally emotional letters from Operation Santa, including a child asking for help to pay his parents' bills.

"We also need internet so I can study," the child said.

One girl called Kayla asked Santa to bring her a sofa bed, writing her parents sleep on a sofa in their one-bedroom unit.

She added that her dad "works a lot" and she doesn't want him to wake with "back pain".

More letters have been shared in the now viral thread. Photo / Supplied

Another tear-jerker came from a child called Almir who wrote about his mum passing away from cervical cancer, and said how hard it had been on his whole family.

He asked Santa to help his loved ones at Christmas, and also asked for some gloves and a coat to keep him warm.

"These break my heart," one person declared.

"This is the most heart-breaking thing," another agreed.

The letters have been described as heartbreaking as the children ask for the most basic items. Photo / Supplied

Operation Santa began in the US in 1912 when Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorised local Postmasters to allow postal employees and citizens to respond to the letters – a programme that eventually became known as Operation Santa.

In the 1940s, mail volume for Santa increased so much that the Postal Service invited charitable organisations and corporations to participate by providing written responses and small gifts.

Today, customers can go online to browse through the letters and if one touches them, they can adopt it and help the child have a magical holiday.

You can find out more about the programme and read more touching letters here.