Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Shuffler on December 13, 2016, 12:26:03 PM
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Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist Sam Venable knew he'd found a sad story, but he didn't know just how many hearts it would break.
Venable's column about a terminally ill 5-year-old boy and Santa's has spread everywhere since its Saturday publication in the Tennessee newspaper. Among other things, it nails the emotional richness of the holiday season.
"I've gotten a big response to this," Venable told CNN. "People have told me that they were crying when they read it, and I tell them that I was crying when I wrote it."
It all started several weeks ago when Eric Schmitt-Matzen, the Santa in Venable's column, got a call after work.
"It was a nurse I know at the hospital," Schmitt-Matzen told the News-Sentinel. "She said there was a very sick 5-year-old boy who wanted to see Santa Claus."
Schmitt-Matzen, whose 300-pound frame and real white beard make him a popular Santa in the Knoxville area, got to the hospital in 15 minutes and requested that anyone leave the room if they were about to cry.
In his column, Venable relayed Schmitt-Matzen's brief interaction with the boy:
'"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!'"
"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."
After the boy's family realized that he had died, Schmitt-Matzen said he left the hospital and cried all the way home.
"I was a basket case for three days. It took me a week or two to stop thinking about it all the time," he told the News-Sentinel. "Actually, I thought I might crack up and never be able to play the part again."
Schmitt-Matzen considered hanging up his red suit but saw some children laughing and playing and then changed his mind.
"It made me realize the role I have to play," said the part-time Santa, whose Facebook page has been flooded with likes. "For them and for me."
His is not your traditional feel-good Christmas story. Still, we're certainly glad it was told.
Here is the man himself..
(http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/161212121643-santa-terminally-ill-child-knoxville-exlarge-169.jpg)
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:cry
Hmmm...Lotta dust in here...
Thanks for sharing :salute
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Yep I cried over that this morning when I read it. :neener:
People like that make the world a better place.
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:cry
When you have kids of your own, no idea how this guy (or the parents) feel. Other than a little boy got a wish to talk to Santa. :salute Sam Venable
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:cry
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I'll just leave this here. :bolt:
Story of Santa Claus with dying child can't be verified (http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2016/12/14/story-santa-claus-dying-child-cant-verified/95423868/)
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I'll just leave this here. :bolt:
Story of Santa Claus with dying child can't be verified (http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2016/12/14/story-santa-claus-dying-child-cant-verified/95423868/)
Yep just heard about this on radio... :furious
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Saw the same. Says that it can't be verified one way or the other.
Santa will not tell the child's name or the nurse's name.
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http://www.wbir.com/news/local/santa-story-of-final-christmas-wish/370486645 (http://www.wbir.com/news/local/santa-story-of-final-christmas-wish/370486645)
WBIR 10News has independently verified several critical details of this story, but has agreed not to publish those for the sake of privacy. Schmitt-Matzen maintains his desire to protect all names involved.
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Santa will not tell the child's name or the nurse's name.
Good on him and good on WBIR. Last thing the family needs is people hounding them if the story is true.
Glad to see there's still a little class about publicizing stuff people might not want publicized.
Wiley.
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Good on him and good on WBIR. Last thing the family needs is people hounding them if the story is true.
Glad to see there's still a little class about publicizing stuff people might not want publicized.
Wiley.
Agreed!!! :aok
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looking more like it's a hoax. too bad.