KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—A Tennessee Santa Claus says a terminally ill 5-year-old boy died in his arms after he gave the boy a present in the hospital.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports Eric Schmitt-Matzen, who does about 80 events a year as Santa, was asked a few weeks ago to visit the dying boy.
Schmitt-Matzen says after giving the boy a toy, the boy asked how he would be able to tell when he got to where he was going after he died. Schmitt-Matzen told him to tell them he was “Santa’s Number One elf” and they would let him in.
Eric Schmitt-Matzen tells a story of how he granted one final wish to an ill child, who would die in his arms. https://t.co/ieSon0jSqf pic.twitter.com/eTCDcC1jH6
— KMOX St. Louis News (@kmoxnews) December 12, 2016
He says the boy gave him a big hug, asked “Santa, can you help me?” and died in his arms.
Schmitt-Matzen says it took him days to recover, but he’s continuing to play Santa.