Santa Visits Homebound Kids Because Everyone Should Feel the Magic of Christmas

As a child, there's no feeling like grabbing your wish list and hopping onto Santa's lap during the holidays, but for some children, that's not always possible, so the Secret Sleigh Project is changing that. By bringing Santa Claus to the homes of homebound and terminally ill kids, the project is ensuring every child gets to feel the holiday magic.

Sarah Portillo created the Secret Sleigh Project last year when she could not find a Santa to make a house call for her daughter with special needs. The Colorado mom saw a huge void and made it her mission to guarantee every child had the chance to spend time with Santa. Last year, Mr. Claus visited 16 children in Colorado, and this year, the project has tripled across several states with the help of a lot of reindeer.

The incredible project is changing the lives of so many children, and 4-year-old Ryan Chevalier is one of them. When Ryan was born, he was deprived of oxygen, a condition known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which also caused "spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy," his mom told ABC News. The Santa who visited Ryan and his family this year said what an incredible experience this was.

"The positive welcoming and togetherness of the family permeated the house from the moment Ryan's father opened the door," he said. "They all cured my nervousness with their smiles. Then, when Ryan's father told me I could hold Ryan, connected to machines, Ryan and I became the focus together. I sensed I was part of something special; it was the family that was letting me know how to be Santa."