Editor's note: Paul Mesirow died May 31, 2016, according to a Facebook post from his wife.
CHICAGO — Since he was 6 months old, Michael Mesirow has been Santa's little helper.
Every Christmas morning since 1984, the now-31-year-old accompanied his father, Paul, to La Rabida Children's Hospital — where Paul Mesirow played Santa Claus beginning in 1971, when he was an 18-year-old freshman at Northwestern University. That first year, his friend's father, who had been La Rabida's Santa, got sick and asked Paul to take his place.
Since then, Paul Mesirow promised to always come to La Rabida as Santa on Christmas "as long as there were kids there."
But he was forced to hand the baton to his son this year because in May 2014, he was diagnosed with ALS. Last Christmas, when Michael had to help Paul button his dress shirt after changing out of the Santa costume, they knew it might be his last year yelling "Merry Christmas!"
"And sadly, the progression of the disease has led to just that," Michael Mesirow said. "His spirit is there, but physically he's not."
Paul Mesirow — a Merrionette Manor native and Bowen High School graduate — can still walk, but he needs a wheelchair to get around most of the time. He said his balance "isn't that good" and his arms "are pretty much useless."
The illness, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, has sapped Paul of his deep, loud voice — and he's lost about 100 pounds, from 325 to a less jolly 225.
In October, when La Rabida officials — who didn't know Paul had ALS — asked him to return as Santa, he went into his backyard and shouted "Ho! Ho! Ho!" but it wasn't quite the same.
It made Paul remember the story of 4-year-old Michael, who, after another Christmas Day of watching his dad hand out presents, asked him: "Dad, when you're a little boy, and I'm an old man, do I play Santa Claus?"
"I reminded my son of that story, and of course he remembered," Paul said. "I told La Rabida what happened to me, explained who would be Santa, gave them his information, and it was a done deal."
Michael says he knows he has big shoes to fill, figuratively and literally — his dad wears a size 15. He called his dad "the best Santa Claus I've ever seen."
The Mesirows are Jewish, by the way.
"He takes it so seriously, with so much pride," Michael said. "He would start growing his white beard in August. ... And these kids, they see Santa Claus, and that's just a complete beacon of hope for them, regardless of their situation. They forget they're in the hospital."
Paul Mesirow has worn three Santa costumes in 44 years at La Rabida, where he also was the Easter Bunny for decades but had to give that up seven years ago after hip replacement surgery. There was the original hand-me-down costume, one made by his wife, and, for the last 20 years, a creation from his mother-in-law. That suit will be passed down to Michael, who at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds is about 5 inches taller but 100 pounds lighter than the man it was sized for. The red-and-white suit was restitched and will be stuffed with cotton to compensate for the new Santa's frame.
Michael said he'll feel the nerves as Santa on Christmas Day, but his dad — in a wheelchair — plus a ton of other family members will be on hand to accompany him.
"I told him, you're Santa Claus until you can't do it anymore," Paul said. "He said he understood, and here we are."
Said Michael: "Like my dad always said, as long as there are kids in that hospital, I'll be there Christmas morning. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
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