Reindeer Visit for Former School Santa at Hospice

A great-grandfather, who portrayed Father Christmas for two decades, expressed that it felt “wonderful” to encounter reindeer within his hospice room. Mick Hodgson, a former caretaker at Harwich Centre Pre-school in Essex, volunteered in the grotto. He stated, “I’ve got amazing memories. It was lovely to see the reindeer.” The 77-year-old, who is living with prostate cancer, is currently receiving care at St Helena Hospice in Colchester. His wife, Lorraine, recounted initially believing he was hallucinating when he mentioned reindeer in his room. She added, “I only realised it had really happened when I saw them later in reception. They were beautiful animals.” Lorraine also commented, “The hospice staff go above and beyond and we are so grateful to them.” Mr. Hodgson, a grandfather of six and great-grandfather of two, received a cancer diagnosis in 2019 but continued volunteering to portray Father Christmas until the previous year, according to his wife. She stated, “He was devastated not to be able to do it this year, but this experience has helped him. “The hospice makes what should be a really horrible time as joyful as it can be,” she further noted. Carole Morgan, the pre-school’s manager, commented that Mr. Hodgson delivered “so much Christmas magic” to numerous children, who particularly enjoyed singing “Jingle Bells” with him. She described him, saying, “He is so kind, gentle and softly spoken to every child he meets.” Morgan added, “He always has time to chat with every little one and has the ability to charm even the littlest of children who may be a little shy of a big man in a red suit.” The David Randall Foundation, an organization that offers what it terms “good days” to individuals in Essex facing terminal and life-limiting illnesses, arranged and financed the visit. This charitable organization was established in 2013 to honor the memory of cricketer David Randall, who passed away from cancer at 27 years old. Sue Randall, David Randall’s mother and the charity’s director, stated: “We like to give people the chance to make memories in the time they have left.” She continued, “It gives me a nice warm feeling inside to know that this brought Mick so much joy.” For updates on Essex news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.