10-year-old with brain cancer receives very special visitor
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Jayson Cameron and his siblings enjoyed a special visit by that jolly old gentleman last week.

By David R. Smith

Sometimes Santa is just a phone call away, and sometimes he may even just be on the other side of the door.

That was certainly the case last Wednesday, when the big guy stopped by the home of 10-year-old Jayson Cameron.

Jayson has terminal Stage 4 brain cancer and was allowed to return home a few months ago. And while he is unable to speak, his grandmother, Rose Cameron, has no doubt he was thrilled to receive the out-of-the-blue visit.

“Jayson was thrilled,” she said. “He really enjoyed it and had no idea, so it was a surprise.”

And the visit wasn’t just an early Christmas gift for Jayson; his brother and sister, Joey and Dakota, also had no idea a typical weekday would become anything but.

“We told Joey to go downstairs and open the door,” Rose said, “and he was surprised!”

The kids’ friends Chantel, Madison and Alex just happened to be there that evening, and they also had a chance to have some one-on-one time with Santa, who, busy as he is this time of year, stayed for close to an hour and a half doing what he does best: listening to Christmas wishes and having his photo taken with the excited group of children.

So how did it all come about?

“I was just lying in bed one night thinking how nice it would be for Santa to visit,” Rose said.

In what could be called “Six Degrees of Santa,” Rose shared her idea with her daughter Michelle. Michelle, in turn, contacted her friend Corina Paris, whose boyfriend, Brad Spinosa, quickly confirmed that Santa would indeed be there.

For Jayson, who was diagnosed earlier this year and has spent months in both Children’s Hospital and Dana Farber, coming home for only a few days or weeks here and there before having to be readmitted, the visit clearly brought him joy.

“It was just so nice,” Rose said.