A photo of a North Carolina mall Santa is showing the true meaning of Christmas as it goes viral.
The photo, taken during a Caring Santa event sponsored by Autism Speaks, shows Santa on the floor talking to a little boy.
The boy could not be persuaded to sit on Santa's lap, so instead of skipping the moment, the man in red got down and went over to the boy, according to the group Autism Speaks.
Autism Speaks Family Services team member Maeghan Pawley snapped the touching photo.
When it came time for the young man in the photo to meet Santa, his parents couldn't convince him to sit on Santa's lap. #GivingTuesday
Posted by Autism Speaks on Tuesday, December 1, 2015
“The whole staff was overly accommodating for all of our kids, really trying to get the best picture and create the best experience possible, regardless of how much time or patience was needed to do so,” Pawley said.
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Caring Santa events are going on across the country. Click here to see if there is one happening at a mall near you.