Santa delivers smiles to sick kids

DALE CITY, Va. — Dale City Volunteer Fire Department volunteers filled in for Santa Claus on Saturday and toted presents all over Dale City in a fire truck festooned with evergreen garlands, larger-than-life candy canes and red bows.

Ed McPike played Santa and accompanied the volunteers as they made their rounds.
Most of the children Santa visited suffer from cancer, said Trudy Sipes, who has been riding with the volunteers at Christmas time for the last 23 years.

“These children are so sick,” Sipes said. “Because of their delicate health, they can’t go out. They can’t go to Santa.”

So Santa comes to them.

Sipes said Santa’s visit provides a little respite for the suffering children.

“They get a little break from their sickness. For a little while they’re not sick because they’re thinking about their gift. Maybe we can take a little bit of that pain and give them the gift of feeling like a kid,” she said.

Santa made his arrival at each of the houses accompanied by sirens and Christmas music.
Heather Varone, standing in for Mrs. Claus, said Santa’s arrival always draws attention.
“Everyone peeks out their windows to see because we blare the music before we get to the house,” said Varone, who has been riding for 15 of the 25 years the volunteers have been delivering presents to sick children.

While he’s about his business of seeing to the happiness of the sick children, Santa is mindful of the others who might be around and has enough presents for everyone.
“We bring a few more for the [sick] child and then we bring a couple for the siblings too because they end up helping as well. They help take care of the sick sibling and help the mom with daily tasks,” she said.

Santa also considered any other children who were attracted by the lights and sirens.
“We actually have little bags that we can give to the neighborhood children when they come up to meet Santa,” Varone said.

Patricia Chiotti, the mother of 9-year-old Gianina Chiotti, who is fed through a feeding tube, said she was “very grateful” for Santa’s visit to her daughter.

Gianina’s aunt, Lidia Chiotti said Santa’s regular visits were “overwhelming.” 
“It fills us with a lot of thankful emotions. It’s great. We really enjoy it every year,”she said. 
Maggie Rollins, who is suffering from cancer and is housebound, said the visit from the volunteers in their red and white fuzzy hats and fire department dress uniforms eased her depression.

“It’s awesome. It’s so much joy for him to come,” said 15-year-old Maggie.

Her mother, Charlottie Russell, looked forward to the visit as well.

“I think I might be more excited,” Russell said.

Years ago, the volunteers came to Jane Melott’s house to bring her 6-year-old daughter Megan Christmas presents when Megan suffered from bone cancer.

Megan, now 19 and a student at the University of Tulsa, survived to ride with the volunteers and takes presents to other sick children.

These days, Jane Melott helps with getting breakfast and lunch for the volunteers.
She can’t go out and see the children.

 “I can’t ride on the truck with them. It gets to me,” she said.

Just thinking back to the days of her daughter’s fight with cancer brings tears to her eyes.
Melott said the visits when her daughter was sick helped a lot.  

“In a very dark time, when she was so sick, it brightened our lives. It really did.”
Douglas Iraheta, a volunteer with the department, said some of the children require emergency medical attention at times and he’s taken some of them to the hospital.
Santa’s visit represents a better day, he said.

“We see them go through the pain. Seeing them smile for once is actually something good,” the 24-year-old Iraheta said. “I think it’s nice for the kids. I like seeing the joy in their faces.”

Volunteer Dominique Clare said Santa and his helpers probably get as much from the visits as the children and their families. 

“I like seeing the kids when we give them something,” the 18-year-old Clare said. “It’s the greatest thing. There’ll be crying and tears, but they’re really happy for that moment.”
McPike agreed.

“It’s just wonderful to see them light up when they see Santa. It makes my year,” he said.

Santa’s rounds were supported by the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department Foundation, CVS, Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que, Jewelry By Design. Jones Mobile mechanic Service, Papa Johns of Dale City, Party City, Edward A. Saunders, Shoppers Food Warehouse, Target, Walmart and Wegmans, Sipes said.

Senior reporter Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.