Michigan Santa Diagnosed with MS Continues to Spread His Holiday Magic: 'It Brings a Lot of Joy to People' (Exclusive)

When Roger Minton was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2022, his first thought was not his own health – but Santa’s health.

Minton has been spreading Christmas cheer as Santa since 2008. “Santa brings a lot of joy to people,” says the 38-year-old from Fowlerville, Mich. “I didn’t want any child – or even an adult – to see that he was in poor health.”

Minton’s Santa career began 15 Christmases ago at his family’s holiday party when their hired Santa canceled. Luckily, Minton’s aunt still had his uncle’s old Santa suit in the closet, so he ran to the store, bought a beard, and saved the party. He was hooked ever since.

“What’s better than playing the luckiest guy on the planet?” says Minton, whose day job is director of technology for a marketing agency. “He is the embodiment of giving and love.”

Roger Minton as Santa Claus.

Roger Minton

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Through his company Timeless Santa, Minton organizes storytimes at libraries, leads tree lightings, poses for photos at Christmas tree farms, goes on holiday walks and visits homes for Christmas parties. “Walking into the house and seeing everyone light up is a lot of fun,” he says.

He bleaches his curly beard and mustache every December, and his wardrobe is filled with red and green. But even when he wears a black T-shirt and baseball cap around town, he says, children recognize him as Santa Claus.

“I really like that just because I look like this, it brings people a lot of joy,” he says.

Roger Minton.

Steph Jordan Photography LLC

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In 2012, Minton’s health began to deteriorate, and a terrible migraine led to a partial, temporary loss of vision in his left eye. A doctor told him he might have multiple sclerosis, but Minton didn’t have health insurance at the time. Over the next decade, he tried to ignore his headaches and leg pain, relieving them with over-the-counter medications.

Then, in 2021, another severe migraine and vision loss brought him back to the doctor. He was officially diagnosed with MS in 2022.

Multiple sclerosis causes the protective sheath of nerves to break down, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can lead to numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes, and other symptoms. Some people lose the ability to walk independently or move at all.

Minton was referred to dr. Jeanie Cote, a multiple sclerosis neurologist at Memorial Healthcare in Owasso, Mich.

Roger Minton.

Roger Minton

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He asked her if she should stop being Santa Claus. “I didn’t want the children to see Santa sick,” he says.

Cote convinced him that with proper treatment, he could spread Santa’s magic for years to come.

“The best way for me to continue being Santa was to treat his MS well,” she says. “He’s got a lot of Santa in him.”

Minton participated in a clinical trial of a subcutaneous infusion, Ocrevus Zunovo, a new drug that requires two 10-minute infusions per year. It was approved by the FDA in September.

“He was doing great,” Cote says.

Roger and Erica Minton.

Roger Minton

Minton’s wife Erica, 38, has been very supportive. The two share two teenage sons, Houdini, 17, and Phoenix Ace, 15.

This is not the first challenge the couple has faced in their 19 years of marriage. “We’ve been through harder things than this,” says Erica.

She had a stroke 8 years ago and felt her life was over. But Minton encouraged her to continue and helped her learn to walk again. “He was there for me,” she says. “I can be there for him just as much.”

She assists him in his appearances with Santa by playing Mrs. Claus, or Wingnutte, the elf who runs the reindeer barn at the North Pole. When Santa Claus needs to rest, he turns his cart around and dances with the children, entertaining them.

“It takes the pressure off him,” she says.

Minton also received support from the other 500 Santas in his community who rallied around him. Since he didn’t want to carry a stick, another local Santa carved a large wooden stick for him.

Roger and Erica Minton.

Steph Jordan Photography LLC

He still has MS symptoms like brain fog and calf pain. But the hardest part is dealing with the “burning sensation” in his thighs as Santa Claus.

Last year, at the end of a 12-hour shift, his legs hurt when the child threw himself on his lap.

“It was painful for me and I winced,” he says. “And they got the picture – but it looks like this kid just jumped into Santa’s arms and hurt him that way.”

He encourages the kids to stand next to him in the photo, telling them it’s the best way to capture their holiday combinations. “But some kids just want to be with Santa,” he says. “I’m doing the best I can.”

Roger Minton.

Roger Minton

Knowing how much happiness it brings helps him get through the pain, he says. On the days she struggles, Erica steps in.

“I say, ‘Guess what man, get up! Let’s go have a cookie and let’s make this,” she says. “We both have our darker moments – as I think everyone does – there are times when life beats you repeatedly and it becomes very difficult.”

Love, she says, is what drives them both forward.

“When everything else hurts and everything is hard and everything is scary – the greatest thing you can do is love someone else,” says Erica.

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Source: HIS Education