Something is different about the picture with the mall Santa above.
He's sleeping.
Unusual right?
But that's okay.
You see, the Santa purposely took a snooze with the young boy on his lap.
According to a Facebook post from the boy's mom, the boy, Ryland, had a seizure right before he was supposed to meet Santa, who was at the mall for a special event for special needs kids.
The seizure drained his energy but even though Ryland could barely keep his eyes open, Santa didn't let that keep him from giving the boy a normal experience.
"When it came time for a photo, he pretended like he was snoozing along with Ryland, making for one awesome picture, and a very memorable moment for us," wrote Wade.
The Belden Mall released the following statement about the photo:
The event, Soothing Santa, is designed to provide children with special needs a sensory friendly environment to enjoy a "typical" moment with Santa. The event is hosted during closed hours of the mall so families and the special needs children have time to spend with Santa in a non-threatening environment! Santa is a natural with all children and the emotions of the event and seeing children with a wide spectrum of disorders truly is touching. Santa naturally connected with Ryland and the lasting-moment was created! True spirit of the season shined through during this event.
