During the 2022 holiday season, Carolina Ace Hardware in Hendersonville, North Carolina, had an important mission to complete. If they could get little Karson a meeting with Santa, they’d be fulfilling the wish of a terminally ill child during his last Christmas.

At the age of five, Karson went to live with his aunt, Dawn Hughes. His life was never free from hardship, having been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and several other conditions including autism, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying every moment.

"He was a very rambunctious little boy," said Dawn. "He was always running and having fun and living life to the best that he could. He was just the best kid you could every meet."

One of Karson’s greatest joys was spending time with Santa during the holidays. Knowing that December 2022 would likely be Karson’s last Christmas since he was terminally ill, Dawn wanted to make sure he’d get to see Santa one last time.

Greg Paul, Carolina Ace Hardware owner, said they had been bringing Santa into the store for kids to see for years, and they knew they could fulfill Karson’s Christmas wish. With that in mind, they made it possible for Karson to see Santa before the rest of the children.

"It was beautiful," said Jennifer DeAngelo, Carolina Ace Hardware Office Manager. "I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place…It was a very touching moment. We were so happy to be able to provide that for them because they couldn’t get that anywhere else."

"It was very emotional," said Dawn. "When he heard Santa’s jingle bells, he just lit up, and then he just snuggled up and laid right underneath Santa’s beard and just enjoyed every minute of it."

Karson passed away in April 2023, but Dawn is thankful that Carolina Ace helped bring him that moment. Greg also presented Dawn with a check for $1,000 from the Carolina Ace family.

"Ace Hardware is kind of like a home to us because they’re a lot like us. They believe that helping one human at a time could change the community," said Dawn. "Their kindness represents who they are as a team here."

"We are just blessed that we were part of that — that we could make his final Christmas wish come true," said Jennifer. "We’re always going to do this for the community because it’s just a big part of who we are at Ace."

Go to stgerardhouse.org to learn more about or donate to organizations helping kids like Karson.