My Letter to Santa - 2015

Dear Santa,

It's me again, your pal Jacob. It's really been quite the year, eh? I'm really struggling with writing a letter to you because I just don't know what to say. Sure I could list off some toys and gadgets, but I don't need any of them or even really, really want to have them. The things I really want can't be made in your toyshop, or in any factory in the world.

Santa, I really want a cure for all of these incurable illnesses. I'm living the best I can with my severe refractory Crohn's Disease and the complications that have come from it. I've seen so many other kids at Sick Kids who also struggle with their illnesses. I want to be able to be a kid again. I want to do what my friends are doing. I want to be able to walk more than 2 minutes without feeling like my heart is going to explode and all of the oxygen has been sucked out of the world. No kid should feel so bad that they just want to go back to bed Christmas morning instead of opening up gifts. Yet, there are a lot of kids like me, who feel that just being able to be out of bed is an awesome Christmas gift. I want for all children who celebrate a holiday at this time of year to be able to enjoy their celebrations without worrying about the medical stuff.

Santa, I've been looking at the news and haven't liked what I have seen. There's too much negativity and hatred in the world. I don't understand how people can be so mean to one another. We only have this life, this moment in time, and to waste it by not spreading kindness is saddening. I want the people in this world to offer one another a hand-up, to try to change the world by doing something kind. It's stories like these that can over-power all that is negative. It's stories like these that give us hope.

Santa, for Christmas I just want the gift of being remembered as the kid who tried to make a difference and inspire others to make their own difference in this world.

I'm sorry that I don't have anything to ask for that is easy to make. The best gift I can think of is the gift of being able to make other sick kids smile.

Thanks Santa.
With love,
Jacob