For years, Levittown’s Larry Burke has brought Christmas joy to sick children and first responders across Nassau County. But this season, it was Santa himself who needed saving.
Burke, 74, a retired public-school teacher and longtime volunteer with Wantagh-based Project Thank A Cop, feared his signature holiday role would be cut short this year. He had been experiencing worsening fatigue and shortness of breath for months — symptoms that ultimately pointed to a failing heart valve.
“I couldn't catch my breath in bed at night,” Burke said. “I couldn't walk and get up from bed to the bathroom. And now that's all behind me.”
On Nov. 24, Burke underwent a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, or TAVR, at NYU Langone Hospital at 259 First St. in Mineola. The minimally invasive procedure had him back on his feet within a day. “The only thing I felt was two little pinches,” Burke said, comparing it to an open-heart surgery he endured 12 years ago. “I had a whole lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.”
TAVR is a technique that uses a catheter to replace a damaged aortic valve without open-heart surgery. According to NYU Langone, it was initially developed for high-risk patients unable to tolerate major surgery, but is now being used more frequently for healthier, younger patients.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Darko Boljevic, an interventional cardiologist at NYU Langone. “We just had to put two tubes into his groin, one for the valve and one for the thigh,” Boljevic explained. “We put one wire in his heart and delivered a valve across the thigh. It was like 45 minutes, and recovery was fast.”
Burke was discharged within 24 hours. On Dec. 17, less than a month after the procedure, Burke returned to the hospital not as a patient, but as Santa Claus. Dressed in red velvet with his signature white beard, he reunited with the doctors, nurses, and staff who he said gave him “the best gift of the season.”
He was joined by his wife of 52 years, Catherine, who came dressed as Mrs. Claus and gave presents to the entire valve team. “This procedure, the recovery, was so remarkable,” she said. “The change in him and his upgrade as to his feelings and how he behaved and how he was — was just amazing to me.”
A former nurse who trained in Brooklyn, Catherine, was stunned at the ease of the procedure compared to her clinical experience decades ago. “We basically dealt with people who had heart attacks and congestive heart failure,” she said. “Nothing ever like a cardiac surgery. Anybody that needed that needed to go to a much larger institution.”
The Burkes said the procedure restored more than just Larry’s strength, it lifted his spirits, too.
“The fact that he probably wasn't going to be able to do that this year really had him down,” Catherine said of her husband’s Santa duties. “Now that he's back doing this, his spirits are up. He's physically feeling better, but he's mentally feeling much better.”
For Larry, playing Santa isn’t just a seasonal costume — it’s a year-round passion. He began donning the suit more than five years ago, volunteering for Project Thank A Cop, a nonprofit founded in Wantagh that works to support law enforcement officers and first responders.
“We support first responders, and as our vision has extended over the years,” he said. “We have a Christmas in July, and we do a Christmas collection in December.” From community events to children’s hospitals, Larry has made dozens of appearances — and had no plans of slowing down until his health intervened. Now, thanks to NYU Langone’s team, he says he’s ready for many more holiday seasons to come.
“I'm breathing better, feeling better than I felt for many months,” Larry said. “I'm really very grateful to the doctors here and the nurses and the staff–everybody was wonderful.” Members of the hospital’s valve team said Larry’s return was a highlight of their year.
“We do about 200 to 250 of these a year,” said Michelle Maier, a physician assistant at NYU Langone. Kim Wiand, a nurse coordinator who has worked on the valve team for 21 years, said she’s seen the program evolve dramatically — but Burke’s visit was a first.
“Anybody can have it, it’s great,” she said of the TAVR procedure. “But it’s the first time we’ve seen Santa.”
After the press conference Burke presented gifts to 3-year-old Lucia Gallo, who was accompanied by her younger brother Antonio and her parents–East Northport residents Anthony and Stacey Gallo.
