Christmas and surgeries go together like Santa’s milk and cookies, at least for some families. Last holiday season marked the first time that Amanda Hardin and her son, Jackson, didn’t spend Christmas in a hospital room decorated with paper-cut snowflakes or a Spider-Man-themed miniature Christmas tree.
Like most parents, Hardin felt the meaning of Christmas change when she had Jackson. “Now, it’s about making Christmas special for him, celebrating the small blessings of being together, healthy and safe — even in the hospital,” she says.
Each December, Hardin sets up an Elf on the Shelf, a tradition not exactly suited for hospitals. “It’s one tiny room; we’re all sleeping there, and there’s only so many spots for an elf to go,” she says with a smile. One Christmas, a nurse accidentally touched Jackson’s Elf on the Shelf, breaking the “magic.” Hardin tracked down Mr. and Mrs. Claus, who reassured Jackson that the elf could still report back to the North Pole. “He felt so honored knowing this North Pole secret that no other child knew,” she says.
Jackson’s spina bifida requires regular surgeries to keep up with his growth spurts, so his parents let him schedule them. He chooses the winter months so he doesn’t have to miss out on summer adventures or swimming with friends. “The surgeries don’t upset me because I know they’re for the best,” he says. “At least I know Santa can find me at the hospital.”
His first operation happened shortly after he was born. Now 14, he’s undergone 15 surgeries so far. Spina bifida is a rare condition in which the spine doesn’t form properly before birth, which left him with mobility issues and other health complications. “Jackson’s gone through more than many people will in their whole life,” Hardin says. “But he’ll be in a hospital bed and is still the happiest kid ever.”