Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"
"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.
Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.
Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.
"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.
"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but .. " the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. "The girl in the photograph ... my granddaughter .. well, you see ... she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa ... any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."
Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do. Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart, "this is the least I can do."
When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant manager how to get to Children's Hospital.
"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's grandmother earlier that day. "C'mon .... I'll take you there," Rick said softly. Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall. Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah. Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"
"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes in tact.
Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up at him with wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears. Though his eyes were riveted up on Sarah's face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's bed, holding hands. Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels.
"Oh, yes, Santa ... I do!" she exclaimed.
"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you,! "he said. Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night ... all is calm, all is bright." The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.
"Now, Sarah," he said authoritatively, "you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!" He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.
"Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept unashamed. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him.
"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained quietly. "This is the least I could do." They nodded with understanding and hugged him.
One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. "Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"
"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her.
After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the "only" child in the world at that moment.
"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's jaw dropped.
Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.
That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had witnessed -- and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about -- this miracle of hope. This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, " Thank you, Father, Tis a very, Merry Christmas "!
If you believe in miracles you will pass this on .. I did!
Yeah ..... Right to Snopes.
-------------------- "20 years of boredom" Posts: 242 | From: Niagara Falls, Ontario | Registered: May 2005
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dookie_booty
I'll Be Home for After Christmas Sales
posted
quote:Originally posted by pilchik: Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"
"Cause I'd like to meet her...if you know what I mean... "
-------------------- Don't blame me, my evil monkey did it. ----------------- Just remember, When everything seems difficult, I'll be shining from a far, When it feels like things have gone away, I'll see you again. Posts: 130 | From: Orange County, CA | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Originally posted by pilchik: Always Believe In MIRACLES!! With glurge, it's hard to. He asked that God touch little Sarah, We don't want to go there again. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night ... all is calm, all is bright." The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own. How corny! "Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead I said we don't want to go there again! Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met Rick's, a look passed between them "Sarah!" he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her Jerk. (see above) This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well. Redundancy is sooo redundant. If you believe in miracles you will pass this on .. I did! If there were miracles, glurge wouldn't exist. At least there's a unified resistance against glurge.
Whew! That took quite a while to edit.
-------------------- I can't believe it's not Square! Posts: 3147 | From: W-S, North Carolina | Registered: Oct 2005
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dookie_booty
I'll Be Home for After Christmas Sales
posted
You did a good job though, Bill. I laughed while reading your comments.
-------------------- Don't blame me, my evil monkey did it. ----------------- Just remember, When everything seems difficult, I'll be shining from a far, When it feels like things have gone away, I'll see you again. Posts: 130 | From: Orange County, CA | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Not only was Sarah cured of cancer, she got her voice back so she could sing her solo in the choir!
-------------------- I like to go down to the playground and watch the kids run and jump and scream, because they don't know I'm only using blanks. Posts: 942 | From: Illinois | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
How come the hospital staff didn't pick up the whole Sarah wants to see Santa thing - Children's Hospitals are often swamped with requests from do-gooders to do nice things for sick kiddies and it's not hard to organise a Santa visit at Christmas for God's sake. The hospital chaplain (unless it was someone from Landover Baptist*) would readily organise one I would think. For that matter how come the family go trawling through the mall looking for a Santa - don't they have any clue? Can't they afford one of the cheap Santa suits that are forever on sale at bargain shops?
The sad thing is that there could be some minor grain of truth in the story - which would be worth hearing - but rather than relate real life the Glurge-inator covers the tale with so much sugar and sweetness that anything approaching fact becomes indistinguishable from the sort of storytelling that would make "A Very Special Christmas Episode of Full House" look like a documentary on the Beslan siege.
Dropbear
*A Landover Baptist as a Hospital Chaplain - now there's a mental image.
-------------------- " The villagers had said justice had been done, and she'd lost patience and told them to go home, then, and pray to whatever gods they believed in that it was never done to them. -- (Terry Pratchett) Posts: 823 | From: Hobart, Tasmania | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
This is the glurgiest glurge I've ever read. >_< I feel like there's honey, sugar, and Karo syrup dripping from my monitor just from having it on the screen.
-------------------- If ignorance is bliss, then why aren't more people happy? Posts: 332 | From: Arizona | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
A nine year old who still believes in Santa is worrying too.
Most of the kids in DD1 second grade class think he is a fake.
-------------------- Focus On The Family- An opinion group who think more about Gay Sex than gay people do- Rick Mercer Posts: 590 | From: Rawdon, Quebec | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Originally posted by pilchik: Always Believe In MIRACLES!!
Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"
"It's my sister, and I'm willing to trade her for an XBox 360."
-------------------- "Chuck E. Cheese called. They want their band back."
"Now, can you show us on the doll where the angel touched you?"
-------------------- "I saw weird stuff in that place last night. Weird, strange, sick, twisted, eerie, godless, EVIL stuff... and I want in."- Homer Simpson Posts: 2161 | From: Delaware | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
I just got this sucker in my email. I so want to discredit this thing, but dang it, there is a Mayfair Mall, as well as a Children's Hospital, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Susan Leonard is claiming it to be a true story, told to her by her husband (the Santa in the story).
-------------------- I would prefer not to. My blog Posts: 4789 | From: Rhode Island | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Dropbear: How come the hospital staff didn't pick up the whole Sarah wants to see Santa thing - Children's Hospitals are often swamped with requests from do-gooders to do nice things for sick kiddies and it's not hard to organise a Santa visit at Christmas for God's sake. The hospital chaplain (unless it was someone from Landover Baptist*) would readily organise one I would think.
No, no, the Evil Liberals have waged a War on Christmas, so the hospital staff is afraid to have a Santa visit.... the ACLU tried to ban "Santa Mark" but brave miracle believing christians smuggled him in!
Kahuna "cover all spam bases" Burger
Posts: 96 | From: Attleboro, MA | Registered: Nov 2006
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posted
I checked the bio in the link provided by Trish and after comparing his pic to a santa I saw last week, he appears to be the same dude that's working Bayshore Mall this season. His bio claims that he worked at Mayfair each Xmas from 1994 through 1999. There's still nothing verifiable about the story itself though.
quote:Originally posted by Dropbear: How come the hospital staff didn't pick up the whole Sarah wants to see Santa thing - Children's Hospitals are often swamped with requests from do-gooders to do nice things for sick kiddies . . .{edited}
One possible scenario. . ., The hospital staff (who are likely local residents) were aware of a Santa working nearby that had a natural beard. Mayfair Mall is only a few minutes away from the Froedtert/Children's complex. It's possible that the family was purposefully sent in that direction.
- P
Posts: 1856 | From: Milwaukee, WI | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
That glurge was far, far too long to read. Glurge should be limited to 150 words max. Any violation should be punishable by flaying the perp alive.
Ryda "She has spoken. Let it be so" Wong
-------------------- So many spankings! It feels so good! But at the same time, I don't care about meeting your family! - I'mNotDedalus: Posts: 3216 | From: Denver, CO | Registered: Dec 2005
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quote: Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl that year.
This would have been perfect if she'd asked for a puppy.
-------------------- "You hold the Prince so I can duct tape his bottom to keep the bugs out." - My Mom Posts: 193 | From: The Fabulous Finger Lakes, New York | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
I have only one contact at Children's, a nurse that works the burn unit. I can only assume she has some friends in oncology. I'll send it to her and see if she can locate anyone that would verify it as factual.
- P
Posts: 1856 | From: Milwaukee, WI | Registered: Jul 2001
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quote:Originally posted by TrishDaDish: I just got this sucker in my email. I so want to discredit this thing, but dang it, there is a Mayfair Mall, as well as a Children's Hospital, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Susan Leonard is claiming it to be a true story, told to her by her husband (the Santa in the story).
-------------------- "Soylent Green is People!!" The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so. - Mark Twain Posts: 21 | From: Chalmers, IN | Registered: Sep 2006
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quote:Originally posted by TrishDaDish: I just got this sucker in my email. I so want to discredit this thing, but dang it, there is a Mayfair Mall, as well as a Children's Hospital, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Susan Leonard is claiming it to be a true story, told to her by her husband (the Santa in the story).
-------------------- "Soylent Green is People!!" The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so. - Mark Twain Posts: 21 | From: Chalmers, IN | Registered: Sep 2006
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posted
Too stupid to figure out how to add a comment & tie it in with Trishdadish's post. I need to go to Snopes' posting school, but try reading the thing with the musical background by clicking the link. I think I threw up in my mouth a little. Thank you Trishdadish for finding the glurgified version of this glurge!!!
-------------------- "Soylent Green is People!!" The trouble with the world is not that people know too little, but that they know so many things that ain't so. - Mark Twain Posts: 21 | From: Chalmers, IN | Registered: Sep 2006
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posted
In my defense, I never have my speakers on, so I had no idea about glurgy music playing on the link.
Tip from Snopes' posting school: To comment on a post, click quote (like you did) and write whatever you want after the quote. If you have an accidental double post, edit the post by clearing what's there and type "Waffles". (Trust me, we've all been there, yours truly included.)
-------------------- I would prefer not to. My blog Posts: 4789 | From: Rhode Island | Registered: Feb 2004
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