A Santa Claus in Albuquerque, New Mexico was recently left with tears in his eyes when an 86 year-old woman who suffers from dementia approached him in a shopping mall.

Karen Rangel, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, went to the mall with her children and grandchildren to pose for a Christmas photo together. Karen’s dementia had caused her childhood memories to return to her, and the resulting photos are showing everyone that some memories endure.

“Karen absolutely loves Santa!” her family posted on Facebook alongside the photos, adding that she has been a super-fan her whole life and would even “flirt with him” as an adult when she still lived on her own.

“Karen has a special Santa doll she sleeps with,” they said. “She doesn’t talk too much these days, but enjoys speaking to her Santa doll in Japanese.”

That’s why they decided to have Karen pose with Santa.

“He gave her a special gift, a handmade Busy Blanket created just for her!” Hartsocks’ Photography wrote on Facebook. “Every time Santa got close to her, she would nuzzle in and close her eyes as if there was no place she would rather be. It was so sweet and emotional for Santa and our whole staff.”

Santa managed to keep it together while Karen was there, but as soon as she walked out the door, he started to cry.

Linda Rangel, Karen’s daughter, said that after they left, her mother kept saying, “I miss you, Santa….Listen, I miss you, Santa.”

This just goes to show that the spirit of Christmas and Santa will always live on in the hearts of believers!