Westerly — When 8-year-old Dorian Murray and his parents decided to discontinue his treatment for terminal cancer after New Year’s Day, the third grader at Springbrook Elementary School had just one wish — he wanted to be famous.

Even, he told his parents, as far away as the Great Wall of China, which he called the big bridge.

What started as a few posts by family and friends about his wish last Saturday has now exploded into a wave of social media support for Dorian led by the hashtag #DStrong.

Thousands of messages of support have not just come from Westerly and Stonington where his father Chris is a police officer, but from countries across the globe.

There have been more than 36,000 Facebook likes, and global news organizations such as CBS News and the BBC have done stories about him.

Celebrities such as NFL star Dez Bryant, singer Kenny Rogers, boxer Vinnie Paz, R.I. Gov. Gina Raimondo, New England Revolution star Charlie Davies, singer/actor Lance Bass, R.I. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and many others have posted their support on Twitter.

One sign, “#dstrong — You’re famous in China” was posted from the Great Wall.

“He thinks he is the king of the world,” said his aunt, Jennifer Lanphear, on Thursday. “He’s tells us, ‘you know I’m famous, right?’”

“It’s absolutely amazing. The community we live in is phenomenal, and the fact it has spread like this is unbelievable.”

In addition to the social media messages, there have been many other kinds of support.

Patriots star Rob Gronkowski had dinner with Dorian on Monday, and on Saturday team owner Robert Kraft will send a limousine to take him and his parents to Gillette Stadium where they will sit in a luxury box for the Patriots playoff game.

Foxwoods Resort Casino bused him and his classmates up to the casino this week for a private party in the arcade and bowling alley. He even had his own security detail while there.

Earlier in the day when he got a behind the scenes tour at Mystic Aquarium, one of the beluga whales carried a sign in his mouth that read #DSTRONG.

The Rhode Island State Police will make Dorian an honorary trooper next week, and Stonington and Westerly police cruisers now sport #dstrong bumper stickers.

Fire departments, police departments, schools, businesses and individuals have posted photos of their support. CES Mixed Martial Arts has made him honorary champion.

Within two hours of posting Dorian’s wish last week, Chris Murray said messages began pouring in, with one of the first from China. He said a few people have even offered to fly Dorian to the Great Wall.

“I could never have imagined it would get to this point, that he would get this popular this fast,” Murray said. “I never expected it to turn into a worldwide movement.”

“He feels special and popular, which is what he wanted,” he added.

Murray said he and Dorian’s mother, Melissa Murray, have been upfront with Dorian about his disease and prospects.

With cancer having spread to his brain and spinal cord, they discussed discontinuing treatment with him so he could spend his remaining time at home. Dorian agreed.

“No matter what was put on his plate or what he has been handed he’s always smiling and happy,” Murray said. “When he’s relapsed in the past, he’d say ‘don’t worry I’ll win.’ ”

“From day one we’ve told him there’s not much time left before he has to go to heaven and he said, ‘OK.’ He’s 8 and he has the maturity of a 28-year-old.”

Murray said that maybe adults can learn something from an 8-year-old boy who has been able to bring together people from many nations to support a single cause.

“Even knowing he’s got to leave for heaven pretty soon, he still has a smile on his face,” said Murray. “He’s doing everything he can to make everyone happy and smile.”

j.wojtas@theday.com

Twitter: @joewojtas