ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – For some Albuquerque residents, Christmas is year round. In fact, they love the holiday so much they changed their names legally to Santa and Merry Christmas Claus.

“Now I get to be Santa every day.” 

The Clauses have been spreading Christmas cheer for many years. Not just to kids but also adults, making appearances at parties, daycares and hospitals. 

“We try to make sure that everybody has a good day, and that’s why we changed our names,” said Merry Christmas. 

In 2021, Merry Christmas was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease, which meant she had to start dialysis.

“In the beginning, I was terrified,” Merry Christmas said.  

After about two years of getting hemodialysis treatment at home, Mrs. Claus has continued to spread holiday cheer. 

On Tuesday, she and her husband, paid a visit to a few people on the nice list in the Care Team at Home Dialysis of New Mexico – to give a personal “Thank You.” 

“Every one of these people, every day, dedicate their lives to keeping me and everyone else alive,” said Merry Christmas.