For one San Jose family, their Halloween display is more than just a showcase for their neighborhood. It’s a way to bring joy to their terminally ill son.
Hundreds of people have come from as far as Fresno to see a spooky pumpkin patch on Vernon Avenue in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood.
The Jimenez family began working on the display in August, as a way to bring joy to Christopher, their 27-year-old terminally ill son. He recently returned home from the hospital.
“We didn’t think he was going to make it, this last hospitalization. So, to have him here sitting next to me, it means so much,” said San Jose resident Shelly Clampitt Jimenez. “We just take it day-by-day and we have to cherish each day that we have, because we never know if it will be his last.”
Chris suffered brain damage as child, has cerebral palsy, several lung diseases and is now blind. But it hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the display.
His twin sister, Kayla Jimenez said he especially loves hearing people scream when the animatronics move or when visitors yell out, “Hi, Chris!”
“He’s so funny. He’ll do a ‘Oh,’ like a shocked ‘Oh!’ when he hears people walk by and say ‘Hi,’” she said. “He really enjoys it. He’s happy when he hears that.”
Clampitt Jimenez started putting up the elaborate displays a few years ago, when her son became too ill to travel to Disneyland.
But she realized the display was a gift for the entire family.
“Having people come by just to enjoy our display, it really means everything to me, because being homebound, we don’t have much of an existence anymore than we used to,” said Clampitt Jimenez.
Clampitt Jimenez added that she is planning to create a Christmas display for Chris. She hopes he will enjoy the sounds from that holiday display as well.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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