This heartwarming tale brought joy to people across the nation as Santa went above and beyond to bring the spirit of Christmas to children.
Matthew Foster, a six-year-old who fervently believes in Santa, faces unique challenges as he is blind and autistic. However, his mother is a resourceful problem solver and was able to find a way to fulfill her son’s Christmas wishes. The heartwarming outcome was truly touching.
Misty Wolf had devised a plan for her son to meet Santa Claus.
The plan was simple: arrive early at their local Cabelas to avoid the potential crowds and ensure a smooth meeting with Santa. And it worked flawlessly, as they walked straight into the store and right up to Santa. Misty Wolf then discreetly informed Santa about her son’s condition, but as it turns out, Santa already had an intuitive understanding.
The entire heartwarming event was documented in a tear-inducing Facebook post that was shared widely.
“I whispered to Santa “he is blind and autistic and is very interested in Santa”. He said “say no more” and immediately got down on the floor to greet my little man.”
Although Matthew is capable of speaking, he prefers not to interact with anyone unless he feels completely at ease with them.
“Santa had his trust right away,” Wolf said. “I keep saying that he met the real Santa. That was the real Santa for Matthew.”
Santa was able to instinctively protect young Matthew’s emotions and well-being.
Santa approached Matthew with a slow and gentle manner, kneeling down beside him. He then invited the boy to touch his coat, buttons, and hat so he could get a better understanding of who he was interacting with.
“He knew exactly what to do,” she said. “He was just so good at getting through to Matthew and letting Matthew have that learning experience.”
Despite Matthew’s aversion to getting his picture taken, with Santa’s gentle approach and kind demeanor, he felt at ease and was able to sit still for the photos. It was a moment of Christmas magic that Misty Wolf will never forget.
“I was just waiting for the meltdown at that point and as soon as he said yes, my jaw just dropped,” she said. “His sister gave the Grinch face, but this time around Matthew was actually looking at the camera and head up and everything. I need Santa in my life for family pictures.”
In the end, Santa gave Matthew a memorable ten-minute interaction, making it a truly special moment for the young boy.
A CNN affiliate spoke with the patient and kind Santa:
“You relate to the child and what the child needs,” he said. “He has never seen the world the way we have seen the world.”
Later on, Wolf shared that Matthew couldn’t stop talking about his time with Santa.