It Wasn't a Beard That Made Kids Believe in a Mall Santa — It Was His Back Brace and Hearing Aid

When Kelly Jackson took her two kids to the mall to see Santa Claus, she was silently hoping that he would have a real beard. Her children are at the age where they are starting to have doubts, but instead of leaving the mall still feeling skeptical, they were blown away by Santa — and not because of his facial hair.

The child standing in front of Kelly's kids had two hearing devices, which Mr. Claus could relate to, as he was wearing a hearing aid of his own. Then when it was Kelly's daughter Lauren's turn, Santa felt the little girl's back brace as he lifted her onto his seat. Thinking that he wouldn't know exactly what to say, Kelly watched as he seemed to discuss it with her child. But when she saw her little girl feeling Santa's back next, she quickly grabbed an elf to confirm what she now suspected — Santa indeed had a back brace of his own.

"Lauren cried just yesterday about her brace hurting, as she often does, but today she found out Santa wears a brace too and he told her he knows just how she feels," Kelly shared on Love What Matter's Facebook page. "It was MAGICAL!! He could relate to the girl with hearing devices and then could surprisingly relate to a girl with a hidden disability?"

When Lauren's turn was over, her mom noticed that the child and Santa seemed to be in a deep conversation that left Mr. Claus in tears as the child hugged him tightly. "Tomorrow Santa might not have hearing aids and he might not wear a brace, but today he did. And today he touched some special children, and their parents!"