His request stunned the Elves of Christmas Present. Never in all their 14 years of Christmases had any recipient asked for this.
The only thing Richard Montgomery said the elves could do for him this Christmas - perhaps his last Christmas - was to let him be an elf.
Just call him Rookie Elf, or "Elfchard" if you're a close friend.
"I wanted to do something for someone else," he told his parents. "That's what Christmas is really about."
The wisdom of this 20-year-old's words, and his maturity as he faces his illness - an advanced cancer that is spreading quickly - caused Chief Elf to pause from the bustle of the Christmas projects, sit back in his chair and cry.
The Elves of Christmas Present is a Kansas City organization that tries to make Christmas extra special for a few families who have had a difficult year. This year, among those selected were Richard from Blue Springs and Eric Netter, 15, of Independence.
Both are sick with cancer; both have had surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. And both are facing their illnesses with eyes wide open.
But Richard's cancer is advanced. He's now in a wheelchair, in hospice care and often in pain. Eric has had four surgeries for brain tumors since 1998; his most recent was Dec. 17. Next month he begins a new round of chemotherapy.
His last chemotherapy failed, but neither he nor his doctors have given up. Both are big fans of the Chiefs. So an idea was born to link the two.
The elves decided to honor Richard's request. He had the responsibility of selecting the gift, buying the gift and delivering the gift. Could he do all of this as sick as he was?
Richard wanted to try. He learned that the three rules to be an elf were simple but required time: The gift must be specific for that person; the gift must require self-sacrifice on the giver's part; and the gift must be given on Christmas - not before or after, because "the magic moment must be as close to midnight as possible," Chief Elf is known for saying.
After a brainstorming session with a few elves, an idea emerged.
Eric's Christmas present would be an autographed Chiefs football. Richard agreed. But could he find one in four days, in time for Christmas?
After many phone calls he finally found a Priest Holmes-signed football within his budget. The football was delivered to his home in Blue Springs, and Richard paid for it.
Then he made a card as well. It's a drawing of Mary and her baby.
As much as Richard enjoys football, the thing he loves more than anything besides his family is God.
"Oh, yes, I like football, but you see people at the Chiefs game lining up at 6 a.m. That football field is their altar. It's not mine," he says.
"But my dad is my role model. He was the only one I ever wanted to grow up and be like."
His father, Ron Montgomery, says: "All the prayers said for Richard for his cure may not yield a cure, but the grace from those prayers is helping us anyway."
Richard is hoping for a miracle for himself. Faith is active in his life, he says. He has watched several miracles occur in his family of seven siblings, including his sister Theresa.
"Since most of them have special needs, well, including me now, I watched things happen that the doctors said wouldn't," he said. "Theresa wasn't supposed to walk. She's walking."
Richard grins as he tells the story, but then he acknowledges something else. "I'm not praying so much for a miracle to happen to me. The miracle might be accepting God's will."
His voice is raspy and soft. Cancer is invading his lungs and growing near his heart. Cancer cells are growing in his pelvis, too.
Richard's parents don't hover over their son. They stand back, beaming at his words.
"I'm so proud of Richard. He's so mature," says Alice Montgomery, Richard's stepmother. His biological mother died of cancer when he was 5.
"Everyone is hit by this at some time in their life. People's lives can change in a moment. It will happen to everyone. I don't know how people without faith could get through this."
The autographed football rests nearby. Ron Montgomery grabs the van keys, preparing to take Richard and an assistant elf known as Tom to Eric's house in Independence.
But a knock on the Montgomerys' door causes the entourage of elves to wait.
In walks one of the biggest men Richard has ever seen in his life - a 6-foot-2, 320-pound Pro Bowl player, Chiefs offensive lineman Will Shields.
Richard smiles even wider. After greeting the family, Shields brings out another football from behind his back.
"I thought since you were giving one away, I'd give you this one," he says, taking out a silver pen and signing the pigskin.
Richard is introduced as Rookie Elf, which he quickly corrects to his nickname of "Elfchard," to this special friend. And the convoy heads toward the Netters' house in Independence.
At the house, a chunk of ice blocks the path of Richard's wheelchair. His father, Will Shields and assistant elf Tom carry him to the door.
Eric and his family watch as strangers enter their living room. Then Shields crosses the threshold. His body blocks the entire entryway.
Eric grins. He doesn't say too much as the Priest Holmes football is handed to him. But his "Thanks!" makes his mom, Suzanne, his dad, David, and his brother, Jon, all laugh.
Later, when everyone leaves, Eric will call all his friends and tell them who just visited.
And then it's over as the Montgomerys head back home. But the ride back is painful for Richard. His stomach doubles him over in pain. Ron tries to call Richard's hospice nurse but can't find the number.
Then Richard's pain ebbs so they decide to continue home. Later this night, Chief Elf calls Richard. He always calls the lead elf on every project team to thank them for a completed mission.
Richard tells him how it went. His voice is raspy and soft, almost like a whisper. Then after a moment, he said one more thing: "I got my wish."
And Chief Elf managed, just barely, to squeak out a goodbye before he cried again.
.
