Miguel Chavez’s big brown eyes speak a thousand words. His contagious giggle and smile brighten the day of all around him. This happy and shy boy has been sick for most of his life. Living between home and LLU Children’s Hospital hasn’t been easy, but through the years, he has found another family away from home.

“Miguel just has something special about him,” says Alane Allbee, RN, charge nurse, acute care pediatrics. “He’s kind of a backstage type of boy that never draws attention to himself.”

“Miguel is pretty quiet, but at the same time very sweet and polite,” explains Roxanne Guernsey, RN, staff nurse, acute care pediatrics. “He’s content even though he’s very sick at the hospital.”

“I’ve known him since he was five years old,” says James Ball, child life specialist, child life services. “My favorite thing to do with him is to read to him. I usually read in Spanish, and just to hear him giggle at my accent is the greatest thing. It’s infectious.”

One place that Miguel loves to go to at the hospital is the playroom. His favorite game at the moment is Super Smash Brothers and always challenges the hospital staff to a game of it. “He got better, and now I can’t beat him,” admits Ball.

Cars are another interest to Miguel. Two years ago he and Ball went to the California Speedway where Miguel had a blast getting autographs from his favorite race car drivers.

When Miguel is at the hospital, he uses his creative talents every Tuesday and Thursday during the "School Age" program. At Christmas time, he built a ginger bread house that was displayed in the Christmas village of the hospital lobby. He also made a Christmas card and entered it into the Children’s Hospital contest for next year’s Christmas cards.

This year, his nurses, child life specialist, social worker, chaplain and others, chose to give him and his family a Christmas surprise as part of the annual “Spirit of Christmas.” It is an event that Children’s Hospital staff from each unit do for one of their patients. In October, Miguel and his brother, Enasio, 10, and sister, Olga, 15, each wrote a letter to Santa Claus. Miguel wrote:

Dear Santa Claus, My name is Miguel Chavez. I am 13 years old for Christmas I wish you would bring me a set of Hotwheels with a race track and also a BIG remote control car and last but not least some shoes size 13 1/2 for kids (Nike’s) and cloths jeans size 10 and shirts size 7 and a nice jacket for the winter and also to have a healthy long life, too. Thank you Santa for reading my letter.

On Nov. 15, 2003, more than a dozen individuals from Children’s Hospital made a special Christmas delivery. A mountain of presents and a Christmas tree, with ornaments and all, landed in Miguel’s living room. Not only did he and his brother and sister get what they asked for, but they received many more gifts for the whole family.

A couple days after the special delivery, Miguel and his family unwrapped the presents, including: a 27” color TV, a DVD player, clothes, a $200 gift certificate to Stater Brothers, phone cards, a $50 gift certificate for gas, stockings filled with goodies, two $100 gift cards to Target for Miguel and Enasio, a $100 gift card to Tyler mall for Olga, and much more.

“I was so surprised by how many presents I got!” says Miguel.

The one Christmas request staffers couldn't grant Miguel—his last wish for a long, healthy life. Four days after Miguel made his Christmas card, he passed away in his mother’s arms. He never got to hear the good news—his card was chosen to be published as one of the special Children’s Hospital Christmas cards for next year.

Miguel’s sweet smile and big brown eyes are still seen everywhere in the hospital. Pictures of him are placed in the playroom, on desks, and in photo albums. “He’ll definitely be missed,” says a teary-eyed Ball, “but never forgotten.”