ONLY ON 3: Santa surprises kids at Wilmington hospital

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) —   It was a special morning for several children at New Hanover Regional Medical Center as they got a surprise visit from Santa.

Christmas is only three days away so he came to bring a teddy bear to the all the kids.

“It’s a little teddy bear for you,” Santa said.

He went around to the rooms and asked what they wanted for Christmas.

“When I’m not here I’m at the North Pole,” Santa told one little boy who asked what he does at the North Pole.  “We are making all the toys and getting ready for Christmas.”

Staff says it’s tough for kids and their families who have to spend the holidays at the hospital.

“When you are in the hospital everything kind of changes,”said NHRMC Music Therapist/Child Life Specialist Michele Erich.

This is a change that is hard any time, but especially during Christmas.

Erich says, “They are not a home doing the fun things that their siblings and neighbors are doing. They are sick.”

For 6-year-old Chasyn, just a little teddy bear is all he needed to forget the pain, even if it was for only a little.

“There are so many wonderful and kind people in our community you really think about the children and the families during this time of the year,” Erich said.

She said there have been so many gifts that have been donated from the community for all the boys and girls from newborn to teens.

“If they come in for out patient surgery, if they come in the emergency department, we are going share as many as things as we get with all the children in the medical center.”

Erich said if you would like to donate a gift, please contact NHRMC and schedule a time to drop it off.

“Infant toys and rattles and books, cars, coloring books and crayons, markers and art supplies, and other gifts that other ages can use, perhaps word puzzles book or things like that they could use in the hospital,” Erich said.