Santa spends his Christmas season bringing joy to everyone else. But a few years ago, Sean Fairburn, better known during the holidays as Santa Sean, was struggling behind the scenes.
Years of physical demands had taken a toll on his back. A combat veteran who served in two wars and spent 30 years working as a handheld camera operator in Hollywood, Sean had grown accustomed to living with pain.
It was there when he stood, sat, bent down, and when he tried to get back up.
Eventually, the pain became so constant that Sean simply accepted it. When he began his new role as a professional Santa Claus, he figured this level of pain would be his new normal.
“I had just grown used to it. I had resolved myself to, ‘I’m just going to have to put up with this pain for the rest of my life.”
There was just one problem.
Santa had a lot of work left to do.
When Back Pain Starts Stealing Your Joy
Being Santa isn’t just something Sean does. It’s something he loves.
His favorite part is getting down to a child’s level, looking them in the eye, hearing their stories, and creating a Christmas memory they won’t soon forget.
But chronic back pain was making those moments harder.
Sean struggled with the constant movement that came with being Santa. Sitting, standing, bending down, hugging children, lifting them for pictures, and staying active all day became increasingly difficult.
“I had a limited amount of stamina that I could handle with regard to the up and down and hugging and picking kids up,” Sean recalled.
The man responsible for delivering the Christmas magic was hurting.
Then, fittingly, everything began to change at a Christmas party.
Santa Finds His Way to AVALA Spine
At a Christmas gathering, a physician noticed that Sean wasn’t moving as comfortably as he should and encouraged him to have his back evaluated.
That simple conversation eventually led Sean to AVALA Spine and Dr. Sean Michael Rider.
After evaluating Sean’s back, Dr. Rider showed him what was causing his problems and recommended spine surgery.
For someone who had convinced himself that chronic back pain was simply part of life, there was finally another possibility.
Sean didn’t necessarily have to just live with the pain.
With Christmas behind him, he scheduled his surgery and began his journey back to doing what he loved.
A Different Kind of Christmas Gift
Sean wanted as much time as possible to recover before Santa season returned.
After surgery at AVALA, however, one of the things he remembers most isn’t just the procedure. It’s the way he was treated.
Sean described the hospital as beautiful, comfortable, and unlike what he expected from a hospital stay.
More importantly, he felt cared for.
“I didn’t feel like I was in a hospital as much as I was being cared for by people who truly love me.”
And his recovery began right away.
While Sean was still in the hospital, an AVALA physical therapist visited his room, started building a relationship with him, and helped get him walking.
That relationship would become an important part of Sean’s recovery.
Spine Surgery Was Only the Beginning
Sean continued his rehabilitation with physical therapy at AVALA, working with Ryan and the AVALA Therapy team.
The connection between his surgical care and rehabilitation impressed him.
Ryan had met Sean while he was still recovering after surgery. Then he and his team continued working with Sean through the weeks and months that followed.
“They cared about me,” Sean said. “They loved seeing me improve.”
Sean committed himself to physical therapy and said that within approximately two to three months, he was doing remarkably well. He chose to continue therapy beyond his originally scheduled sessions so he could keep building strength.
With every step forward, Santa got closer to Christmas.
Then Santa Came Back
When the next Christmas season arrived, something was different.
Santa was back.
Sean could sit.
He could stand.
He could pick up children.
He could turn, move, and even dance with them.
He described having greater stamina and no longer experiencing the back pain and other symptoms that had affected his previous Christmas seasons.
“It was a complete game changer. I felt like I was 22 and I could do this all day.”
For Sean, successful back surgery wasn’t about being able to say he’d had his back fixed.
It was about living his life again.
And that meant putting on the red suit.
AVALA Spine Helped Bring the Christmas Magic Back
When children meet Santa, they aren’t thinking about back pain, spine surgery, or physical therapy.
They just see Santa.
That’s exactly what Sean wants.
“What makes Christmas special for kids is the level of Christmas magic that they expect when they see Santa,” he said.
After his treatment at AVALA, Sean felt able to give them even more of it.
“After my surgery with AVALA, I was able to bring far greater joy, far greater love, and far greater enthusiasm to being Santa Claus.”
One patient’s recovery ultimately meant something to a lot more people.
AVALA Spine helped Santa get back on his feet. And Santa got back to spreading Christmas magic.
Santa’s Message to People Living With Back Pain
Sean’s experience also changed the way he talks to other people living with chronic pain.
As a disabled combat veteran, he knows how easy it can be to minimize pain, push through it, or convince yourself that you simply have to live with it.
He now encourages fellow veterans experiencing back problems to get evaluated rather than silently enduring their symptoms.
His own experience is the reason why.
Sean went from believing he would live with constant back pain for the rest of his life to returning to the activities he loved.
His message says it best:
“AVALA Spine really gave me my life back.”
This Christmas, Don’t Give Pain Another Year
Maybe you’re not climbing down chimneys.
But chronic back pain can still keep you from the things that matter most.
Maybe it’s getting on the floor to play with your grandchildren.
Maybe it’s working without constantly thinking about your back.
Maybe it’s exercising, traveling, hunting, fishing, or simply making it through a day without planning every movement around your pain.
Sean had reached the point where pain felt normal.
It didn’t have to be.
If back pain is limiting your life, an evaluation can help you better understand what’s causing your symptoms and what treatment options may be available.
Because sometimes the best gift isn’t something that fits under the tree.
It’s getting back to the life you love.
Give Yourself the Gift of Feeling Better
This Christmas, take the first step toward understanding your back pain.
Schedule an appointment with AVALA Spine.
Individual results and recovery experiences vary. A spine specialist can determine which treatment options may be appropriate for your condition.
