Virginia’s ‘Santa Claus’ donates kidney, delivers gift months ahead of Christmas
Powhatan: Local man known for dressing up as Santa Claus every year has delivered a very special gift — and he didn’t wait for December.
Dave Bell, Powhatan’s go-to Santa for years, recently donated a kidney to an anonymous recipient. He wore his signature Santa hat from the hospital bed during recovery at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.“I have two of these things, and I only need one,” Bell said. “There’s somebody who has none and they need one.”To qualify as a donor, Bell had to shed 40 pounds to get into “Santa-shape” for the procedure. Though it’s far too hot in central Virginia for reindeer to fly, he said the gift couldn’t wait.
Dr. Amanda Bailey, transplant surgeon at the Virginia Transplant Center at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, said stories like Bell’s help put a face to organ donation.“Stories like Dave’s make organ donation feel real and personal,” Bailey told WTVR. “They show that donation is possible and that one person can make an enormous difference in someone else’s life.”Now recovering, Bell is working to get back in shape in time for the holiday season, when he’ll once again be lighting up children’s faces as Santa.
