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'Santa House' in University Park lights up despite homeowner facing a stroke this year

Wayne Smith is setting up Christmas decorations slower than normal after suffering a stroke. He's determined to get hundreds of Santa displays up before Christmas.

DALLAS — For years, Wayne Smith's home has been known as the "Santa House" in University Park near Dallas. It's located on the 3700 block of Southwestern Boulevard.

Every Christmas, he has more than 500 Santa displays on his front lawn. It takes more than five miles of extension cords to light up, and adds $1,000 to his electricity bill per month.

Setup usually starts before Thanksgiving. But this year, Wayne started late.

"A lot of people were saying we're afraid you'd moved or weren't going to set up," Wayne said. "As long as I can still move, I'm going to set them up."

Earlier this year, Wayne suffered a stroke and was paralyzed on his left side. He's been working for months on rehabilitation. 

He said setting up his Christmas decorations feels like therapy, too.

It's taking him longer than normal to drill and secure each display. After a few hours of work each day, Wayne needs to rest. 

He is still mentally and physically recovering from his stroke.

The most popular displays are already up, including the row of Santa decorations on the roof, and the original Big Tex head. 

Though it may not be as full as previous years, Wayne plans to do as much as he can to keep the visitors smiling.

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