GARDEN GROVE : Santa Brings Respite to Burned Children

Five-year-old Joshua Rans stared quizzically at Freddie the Fire Truck as its red lights spun and flashed, beckoning the boy to come closer.

“Now let’s everyone sing, ‘Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus,’ ” Freddie, a red plastic fire engine, squeaked as about 200 children milled around him.

All started singing--all but Joshua, who was pointing to a fireman who was wearing a suspicious-looking headset and carrying a black box in the back of the room.

“That man has been following Freddie for a long time,” Joshua observed.

At that moment, tiny bells jingled and as a flicker of red velvet and white fluff flashed across the room. Joshua’s face lit up and he bellowed with the rest of the crowd:

“Here comes Santa Claus,

here comes Santa Claus,

right down Santa Claus lane....”

Joshua was one of about 300 guests Thursday at an annual Christmas celebration at the Garden Grove Community Center, hosted by the Orange County Burn Assn. and the UCI Burn Center. The burn association has put on a Christmas party for young burn survivors for the last 10 years.

Thursday’s gala had the largest turnout in recent memory, sponsors said, as almost 200 children and 100 parents poured into the center to play with clowns, Donald Duck, Goofy and other celebrities.

The annual party “is a chance for the kids to gather and just be themselves and have fun,” said Becky Rans, Joshua’s mother. “These kids start to feel sometimes like they’re alone and the only ones suffering. Nobody looks at the scars here because they’re all friends.”

Many of the burned children said the best part of the party--next to Santa--was getting together with friends and workers whom they had met at the burn center.

“The gifts are cool, but most of all, I came to see my friends. It’s the only reason I came,” said 7-year-old Brian Kraemer, who suffered extensive burns over two-thirds of his body in an accident at age 3.

Joshua, though, said he came specifically for two reasons: Santa Claus and fire trucks.

Moments after he sat on Santa’s lap and tugged his flowing beard, the 5-year-old scampered off and climbed onto a gleaming fire engine parked outside the center. Joshua’s agility belied the fact that he was recently released from the burn center. In June, he was playing with a cigarette lighter and his shirt caught fire. He suffered second- and third-degree burns on 35% of his body.

“The best part,” he said, chewing on a cookie, “is the Christmas tree, cookies, treats and presents.”