In October 2019, Annalisse and her family moved to Farmington, New Hampshire, where the 7-year-old started at a new school. Luckily for her, Nyla Loftis was in her class! The little girl made Annalisse feel welcome, and the two of them became best friends.
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Sadly, Nyla moved away the following February, but Annalisse didn’t forget about her. When it came time to write her letter to Santa Claus this year, Annalisse only asked for one thing: to reconnect with Nyla.
Her letter read:
Dear Santa, For Christmas I would like for it to be a surprise. Please tell Nyla that I miss her, I have not forgotten about her, and please tell her my address and everything she needs to know to mail me a letter also. Please tell me everything I need to know to mail a letter to her.
Upon seeing the note, her mom, Leslie Hocking, knew she needed to help Santa out by making this Christmas wish come true. So she shared the letter with her community on Facebook, asking if anyone could help her locate Nyla’s parents. Within 90 minutes, Santa’s social media elves were able to find Nyla’s mom, Sarah Hodgdon, and connect them. Without hesitation, the moms set up a surprise dinner for the girls!
Nyla was “speechless” when she saw Annalisse again, and then they got to share the best hug.
“It was so cute,” Sarah said. “I just held back the tears trying to be like, ‘This is great joy.’ I can’t even describe it – you get choked up inside and it’s all happy.”
The gift was just as special for Nyla as it was for Annalisse because Nyla didn’t have much time to get to know her new classmates before her school went virtual in March. Since she reunited with her dear friend, her “personality [has been] brighter.” Plus, she can’t wait to video chat with Annalisse any chance she gets!
“I can’t believe how many people stepped forward and were trying to help two little girls who were in school together for less than a year and grew such a good bond,” Lesley said.
She still can’t properly express her gratitude to her community. It just goes to show that Santa really is everywhere when it comes to kind hearts!
Learn more about Annalisse, Nyla, and Santa’s helpers in the video below, and be sure to share this story with anyone who could use a little Christmas spirit.
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