When a six-year-old boy from North Carolina didn’t want to sit on Santa Claus’ lap for a photo, Santa decided to make the child feel more comfortable by lying on the floor next to him instead.
Brayden Deely, 6, has autism, so Santa made sure Brayden felt at ease when it was his turn to take a picture with Jolly Old St. Nick, no matter what that meant. And the moment was captured perfectly:
Brayden’s parents, Erin and Dan Deely, were at SouthPark Mall hoping to get a traditional Santa picture with their son, but what they got instead was extraordinary.
“Social situations get very difficult for [Brayden], so having the ability for us to come in and set up an appointment and give him an experience of a typical child is huge for him and huge for us,” Dan Deely told WCNC News.
The appointment the Deely’s made with Santa Claus is part of an event called Caring Santa, where parents who have children with autism, or other special needs, can be in a “more controlled and welcoming environment” to capture that perfect moment with Santa.
Caring Santa gives children an opportunity to have about 15-20 minutes of one-on-one time with St. Nick in order to feel at ease.
“We would not have Santa pictures otherwise,” Erin Deely added.
And it looks like Brayden not only got his photo with Santa, but a chance to play with him as well.
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