PALMETTO, Fla. — A popular Christmas light show in Palmetto that draws people from all over the Tampa Bay area is back on track after nearly going dark this year.
Following health setbacks and months of uncertainty, the host is dedicated to keeping the lights on for the holidays.
Since 2017, Tom Stallings has ushered in the holiday season by transforming his yard into a wonderland of Christmas lights set to the rhythm of synchronized music. But without the intervention of a miracle, that holiday cheer was in jeopardy.
"This year definitely didn't almost happen because I wasn't able to put up the lights," Stallings, the creator of Lights of Palmetto, said.
It all started last summer with a bout of COVID-19, which he was still recovering from when he got the flu last Christmas. Shortly after, he contracted a pneumonia infection and things went downhill from there.
"Next thing I know, I'm on a ventilator and fighting for my life for about four months," Stallings said.
Stallings was in a coma for around two of those four months and says he is lucky to be alive.
He is now using a wheelchair but is still struggling to breathe like he used to.
"I try not to relive that story and then when my wife talks about it, I just don't want to hear it," he said.
He said thinking about setting up his Christmas light show and the joy it would bring his daughter and other children encouraged him.
On another hand, his story encouraged other colleagues in his industry to extend a hand to see that it became a reality this holiday.
Several volunteers came together to help install more than 180,000 lights to make sure this year's Christmas light show doesn't miss a beat.
"They flew in from Texas, Minnesota, North Carolina and, of course, Florida," Stallings said. "They came in and put my show up in two days and here we are actually ready to go on Thursday. We've got a couple of pieces we are finishing up. It was a good thing to see."
Lights of Palmetto kicks off at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving day.