Eric J. Schmitt-Matzen aka Santa Schmatz, a business owner in Caryville, Tennessee, offered his Santa services a little early this year when a nurse from a local hospital called and told him to get there as quickly as he could. When he arrived, he learned that a dying young boy was terribly afraid of missing Christmas. So he put on a brave face and a true Santa Schmatz smile, cleared all criers from the room and delivered a present to the little boy, proclaiming him to be Santa’s “number one elf”.
I gave him the present. He was so weak he could barely open the wrapping paper. When he saw what was inside, he flashed a big smile and laid his head back down. ‘“They say I’m gonna die,’ he told me. ‘How can I tell when I get to where I’m going?’ I said, ‘Can you do me a big favor?’ He said, ‘Sure!’ When you get there, you tell ’em you’re Santa’s Number One elf, and I know they’ll let you in. He said, ‘They will?’ I said,‘Sure!’
During a warm embrace, little boy asked Santa to help him with something, but never finished his sentence. The little boy died in Santa’s arms.
He kinda sat up and gave me a big hug and asked one more question: ‘Santa, can you help me?’ I wrapped my arms around him. Before I could say anything, he died right there. I let him stay, just kept hugging and holding on to him.
