|
|
|
With a red cloth bag filled with teddy bears over one shoulder, Santa Claus walked through the Freeman Health System’s NICU unit door to visit 14 babies on Tuesday.
“It is an opportunity to come here each year, a few days before Christmas, to spread a little Christmas cheer to the babies who are here in the neonatal intensive care at Freeman Health System,” he said. “And to their parents who will not have a usual Christmas because of the infants here in the NICU, so I am just glad to come and give them a few moments of cheer here.”
Each child — even twins — were dressed in Christmas attire, including Santa hats, and each baby had the opportunity to sit on Santa Claus’s lap for their first photos, as parents stood by. After the photo shoot, Santa Claus presented each of them a Teddy bear.
One of the parents in attendance was Kim Waggoner, Joplin, whose son, Jacob has been in the NICU for three weeks.
“He was born premature due to hypertension,” Waggoner said.
Asked how it was to see Santa Claus holding Jacob and having a picture taken, Waggoner said, “it makes me want to cry.”
“It is just something that you can have that is normal, after having your child in the NICU,” said Waggoner. “Jacob is doing really good, he is. This is our second time here: our first son was born early, too.”
Waggoner is hoping that Jacob will be going home within 10 days.
“This will be our first Christmas in (NICU), but that is OK,” she said. “That is where he needs to be.”
Shannon Card has twins, Alex and Anthony of Baxter Springs, Kan., in the NICU. They have been there for 22 days. Card, too, is grateful Santa Claus made a stop Tuesday.
“That is awesome. I think that is just awesome,” she said. “(Seeing Santa Claus) makes me feel good, it doesn’t make me feel so bad about them not being able to come home for Christmas, if that was possible.”
Her plans for the teddy bears are to put them above the twins’ beds.
“They are just cute,” said Card about the bears.
Kacee Westfall is hoping for one Christmas gift: to take her son, Dylan, home.
“He has been here for 91 days,” she said. “This week, hopefully (he will go home).”
Kathy Watson, director of CMN, stated the families love seeing Santa Claus.
“The babies are here and are obviously going to be here for the holidays,” Watson said. “Not that Santa couldn’t find them, we just wanted to make it easier for the families to have him just come directly here to see them and spend a little extra time before he makes his rounds on Christmas Eve.”
With a red cloth bag filled with teddy bears over one shoulder, Santa Claus walked through the Freeman Health System’s NICU unit door to visit 14 babies on Tuesday.
“It is an opportunity to come here each year, a few days before Christmas, to spread a little Christmas cheer to the babies who are here in the neonatal intensive care at Freeman Health System,” he said. “And to their parents who will not have a usual Christmas because of the infants here in the NICU, so I am just glad to come and give them a few moments of cheer here.”
Each child — even twins — were dressed in Christmas attire, including Santa hats, and each baby had the opportunity to sit on Santa Claus’s lap for their first photos, as parents stood by. After the photo shoot, Santa Claus presented each of them a Teddy bear.
One of the parents in attendance was Kim Waggoner, Joplin, whose son, Jacob has been in the NICU for three weeks.
“He was born premature due to hypertension,” Waggoner said.
Asked how it was to see Santa Claus holding Jacob and having a picture taken, Waggoner said, “it makes me want to cry.”
“It is just something that you can have that is normal, after having your child in the NICU,” said Waggoner. “Jacob is doing really good, he is. This is our second time here: our first son was born early, too.”
Waggoner is hoping that Jacob will be going home within 10 days.
“This will be our first Christmas in (NICU), but that is OK,” she said. “That is where he needs to be.”
Shannon Card has twins, Alex and Anthony of Baxter Springs, Kan., in the NICU. They have been there for 22 days. Card, too, is grateful Santa Claus made a stop Tuesday.
“That is awesome. I think that is just awesome,” she said. “(Seeing Santa Claus) makes me feel good, it doesn’t make me feel so bad about them not being able to come home for Christmas, if that was possible.”
Her plans for the teddy bears are to put them above the twins’ beds.
“They are just cute,” said Card about the bears.
Kacee Westfall is hoping for one Christmas gift: to take her son, Dylan, home.
“He has been here for 91 days,” she said. “This week, hopefully (he will go home).”
Kathy Watson, director of CMN, stated the families love seeing Santa Claus.
“The babies are here and are obviously going to be here for the holidays,” Watson said. “Not that Santa couldn’t find them, we just wanted to make it easier for the families to have him just come directly here to see them and spend a little extra time before he makes his rounds on Christmas Eve.”
