Tears as Mom Shares Heartwrenching Reason Son Has Christmas for Birthday

Newsweek

30-04-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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The reason a mom hosted Christmas for her 4-year-old's birthday has melted hearts across the internet.
Melissa Kossack (@melissalkossack), 32, a stay-at-home mom of three, says her life turned upside down when her 2-year-old daughter, Lenny, was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in January—a rare and aggressive form of cancer that typically affects young children. From that moment on, her entire existence revolved around getting her daughter the best possible care. Amidst countless hospital visits and treatments, she remained determined to give her kids a slice of normalcy—especially for their birthdays.
That included Holton, her Christmas-obsessed 4-year-old. A video of his festive April birthday celebration, complete with decorations and Santa suits, garnered more than 11,700 views on Instagram.
Shortly after the family relocated from the Chicago area to Madison, Wisconsin, the little one made his passion for Christmas clear.
A split image showing Holton walking down stairs to his birthday Christmas morning.
A split image showing Holton walking down stairs to his birthday Christmas morning.
Melissa Kossack/Melissa Kossack
"Our first real holiday here was Halloween, and he absolutely hated Halloween. Wanted nothing to do with it. It was scary, he didn't want to go trick-or-treating, he didn't want to dress up as anything," Kossack told Newsweek.
"My husband and I told him: first Halloween, then we have Thanksgiving, and then Christmas. Eventually, we came to the idea that the only way we got him to participate in Halloween was if he dressed up as Santa."
Halloween came and went—but Holton's Santa costume didn't. He wore it through New Year's, Valentine's Day, even St. Patrick's Day, when he helped set up a leprechaun trap and believed he might catch an elf.
"His mind has never left Christmas. It's all he wants to do all day. He plays a game called 'Christmas' where he wraps everything in the house in wrapping paper—or he'll use towels and blankets and pretend those are his wrapping paper—and he wraps everything. He's just a Christmas boy at heart," Kossack explained.
Holton's devotion to the holiday runs deep. He often wears Christmas shirts, and some days, he shows up to preschool in full Santa attire. Other kids even know him as "Santa."
Despite everything going on with her daughter's health, Kossack wanted her children's birthdays to feel magical. Lenny was hospitalized for chemotherapy but was briefly discharged on April 20—just in time for Holton's birthday on April 22.
When asked what he wanted to do for his birthday, Holton was clear: he wanted presents—and Christmas.
With the help of her husband and father, Kossack set up a magical surprise. They put up the Christmas tree, hung festive decorations and a "Christmas Birthday" sign, added a red number 4 balloon, and placed his favorite Santa mailbox and stocking full of birthday gifts under the tree.
Kossack captured the moment Holton walked downstairs in his Santa suit, wide-eyed at the springtime Christmas morning she had created, to join his siblings Lenny and Rayna, 5.
"In really dark times, it's little moments like these that kind of bring joy and happiness. And it always amazes me—through the darkest days of our lives, we can find light in little things like this. I think that's why it meant so much," she said.
"But honestly, seeing his little happy Santa face that day when he was walking down the stairs... I knew it was all worth it."
Even on the day of his birthday, Holton had to visit the hospital to have a cast removed after breaking his wrist three weeks earlier. True to form, he showed up in costume.
Holton dressed in his santa suit at the hospital with his little sister, Lenny.
Holton dressed in his santa suit at the hospital with his little sister, Lenny.
Melissa Kossack/Melissa Kossack
"He wore his Christmas costume, brought his Santa bag, and packed his birthday presents in his Santa sack. All the nurses were laughing and in love with it. Four nurses came in and played 'Jingle Bells.' They made a paper bow and put it on his brace. And I could tell—the nurses felt the joy and love that this little Santa 4-year-old spread," Kossack concluded.
Instagram users quickly fell in love with the story.
"This is awesome. What a special day!!" one wrote.
"This made me cry—how adorable!" another commented.
"This is amazing and SO him," said Tiffany. "You are such an amazing mom!! Happy birthday to him," said another user.
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