The story of Santa and a dying boy's wish may be true after all

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (FOX 11) - The Tennessee newspaper that first ran the story of a 5-year-old boy, dying in the arms of Santa Claus...now says it no longer stands by it.

But it turns out...Santa may have been telling the truth after all.

WBIR-TV in Knoxville says it has independently verified many critical details of Eric Schmitt-Matzen's story of being called by a nurse to the ICU where the boy lay dying.

But it has agreed not to publish them for the sake of privacy.

Schmitt-Matzen says the nurse is afraid she could be fired for calling a non-family member into an ICU without hospital approval -- and then have that person publicly share his story.

The besmirched Santa also hopes the family will go public.

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