VIDEO: Santa Grants Beachwood Girl's Wish, Delivers Soldier Brother Home For Christmas

BEACHWOOD, NJ — Some kids ask Santa Claus for an XBox or a new bicycle for Christmas. Sierra Kanoc had a much bigger wish: to have her brother home for Christmas.

With a helping hand from the Beachwood Volunteer Fire Department, Santa delivered the most desired gift a few days early to Sierra and her family: U.S. Army E-4/Spc. Raymond Kanoc.

Ray Kanoc has missed the last two Christmases with his family in Beachwood, and this year, Sierra, 8, wrote a letter to Santa asking for his help in bringing him home.

"She wrote the letter a couple of weeks ago," Sierra's mother, Christine Saia, said. However, Christine had a secret: she knew Ray was coming home. But she devised a plan to make the homecoming extra special. Knowing that Ray was due home the same day that the Beachwood Volunteer Fire Department was conducting its annual Candy Cane Toss, so she contacted the fire company about delivering Ray, too.

They happily obliged, she said.

Originally the arrival was scheduled for about 9 a.m., but Ray's flight home from Hawaii, where he is stationed and trains as a cavalry scout, was delayed for about four hours. His father — who'd told the family he was headed out to work unexpectedly — picked Ray up at the airport and drove him to the firehouse, where he was connected with the firetrucks driving Santa around, Ray said.

When they pulled up in front of the house on Longboat Avenue and Ray stepped out, "I cried," Christine said. Even though she knew he was coming home, "you don't believe it;s true until you can actually touch it and feel them," she said.

In addition to Christine and Sierra, Ray was greeted by his younger brother Lenny, 11, and sister Cheyenne, who turned 15 on Saturday, and Christine's parents, Leonard and Karin Saia.

"Raymond's grandfather, Leonard Saia, is a retired battalion chief with the Paterson Fire Department," the fire department post said, "making this extra special as we are all 'family' in the fire service."

"They were great," Christine said. "They are so supportive of our military and Chief (Roger) Hull kept it all together."

The surprise on Sierra's face, having her parents there, "It was everything that I wanted it to be," she said.

"Sierra loves her older brother," Christine said. "Any time he video calls she's always in front" to talk to him, she said.

Ray, who graduated from Toms River South in 2012 and enlisted at age 21, said his unit is on standby to deploy on short notice for anything from combat missions to assisting with natural disasters, so while he has not yet gone overseas, the possibility exists all the time, he said.

"That's what we agreed to when we took the oath," he said.

"Awesome job by the police department and first aid, who assisted in this special moment with a full emergency services escort," the fire department post said. "Merry Christmas to the Saia and Kanoc families- BFD"

"It felt amazing," Ray said, "the fatc that we were able to pull this off and no one knew until the minute I stepped out" that he was coming home.

"I can't believe my mom was able to keep it a secret. She has a hard time keeping secrets," Ray said.

Just a little extra Christmas magic.

Kanoc's mother, Christine, posted a photo on Facebook afterward:

See video of the delivery here:

Photos courtesy of Christine Saia