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Santa is used to giving gifts, not receiving them, but this holiday season, 73-year-old Ronald Fierro will once again take pictures with children sitting on his lap, thanks to a unique surgery that saved his leg.
Fierro, a retired high school teacher and Boy Scouts shooting instructor from Brick Township, has been delighting families as Santa Claus for years at the Freehold Raceway Mall.
In March, his future in the red suit was jeopardized when a painful lesion on his left foot was diagnosed as a non-healing ulcer caused by diabetes.
“The ulcer was extremely painful,” Fierro said. Initial treatment for cellulitis, a deep skin infection, provided little relief. Tests conducted by podiatrist Frederick Rothberg, DPM, revealed severe disease in his lower right leg and inadequate blood flow for healing. Fierro was referred to vascular surgeon Nicholas J. Russo, MD, at Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center’s Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Heart and Vascular Center.
An angiogram later confirmed the severity of the situation: “Ron’s disease pattern was not amenable to endovascular treatment,” Russo explained. “Thus, the need for pedal bypass surgery.”
Despite the urgent need for the procedure, Fierro briefly delayed it to attend an annual Santa convention, demonstrating his dedication to his role. When the surgery proceeded in June, Dr. Russo performed a three-hour revascularization procedure, using a vein from Fierro’s thigh to restore blood flow and promote healing.
“Had Ron not been so diligent with his care, he would have had a 30 percent chance of limb loss if untreated,” Russo said. “Now, thanks to this procedure, I was honored to take my son for his first visit with Santa.”
Fierro spent months rehabilitating with the aid of a cane and expressed gratitude for the multidisciplinary team that managed his care. “Everything was coordinated, seamless, and smooth,” he said.
This holiday season, Fierro is eager to return to his long-standing role as Santa Claus, saying, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world! It’s a privilege to represent the spirit of Christmas. I have an attitude of gratitude.”
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