PEWAUKEE, Wis. — Despite facing a terminal diagnosis, Terry Heidmann refuses to let ALS stop him from being Santa for children on the autism spectrum.
For nearly 20 years, Terry has donned the red suit as Santa at the Sensory Club of Pewaukee, a place designed for children and adults on the autism spectrum. This year, his role has taken on deeper meaning after receiving a devastating diagnosis.
Early this year, Heidmann started having trouble speaking and losing his balance. After visiting the Mayo Clinic, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease, also known as ALS.
"There is no cure," Heidmann said.
Every day is a struggle for the Brookfield man. He spends an hour doing therapy after waking up because his lungs aren't working properly. He switches between a walker and a scooter as he loses his ability to walk.
"Your brain loses contact with your muscles. So my right leg is pretty much not playing along. My tongue vibrates, so I can't talk well," Heidmann said.
But instead of hanging up the Santa suit, his friends stepped in to help. They transformed his scooter into a sleigh, allowing him and his wife, Inge, to continue as Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Watch: Brookfield man with ALS continues bringing Christmas joy to special needs children
"When he puts the suit on, and I do, it is just magic," Inge Heidmann said.
For children like Noah Brady, who is on the autism spectrum and non-verbal, this specialized Santa visit means everything. Traditional mall visits with Santa aren't an option for many children with special needs.
"He hasn't seen Santa before, so this is kind of a new experience for him," Becky Van Deraa, Noah's teacher, said.
The joy is mutual. Despite his declining health, Heidmann finds purpose in bringing Christmas magic to these children.
"It is delightful for me to be with them," Heidmann said. "I don't want to stop. I don't want to."
Although this was the last day Heidmann put on the Santa suit this Christmas season, he hopes it won't be his final time bringing holiday joy to children who need it most.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
