Twenty tiny premature babies who are spending the festive period in hospital have received a special visit from Father Christmas.
The children, who are all getting better at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), had the opportunity to meet Father Christmas earlier this month. The neonatal unit and patients’ rooms were decorated to spread festive cheer, and each family received special Christmas gift bags delivered by Father Christmas himself to celebrate the festive period.
Families posed for photographs with Father Christmas, while staff at the neonatal unit were dressed in festive clothing, with reindeer and elves spotted among them. The Father Christmas visit is a tradition that the Bryan Medical Centre has been upholding for more than a decade.
Sadie Delp, the NICU nurse manager, said “It really just brings a sense of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal situation. This is not how you imagine your first Christmas with a baby, some of these babies aren’t even supposed to be here yet so it just provides a sense of normalcy for these families”.
One of the premature babies who got to meet Father Christmas was baby Bowen, who was born at only 31 weeks gestation after his mother, Presley, developed complications during her pregnancy.
Baby Bowen is now six weeks old and thriving, and enjoyed meeting Father Christmas.
“It’s exciting for us because I think it’s a tradition that we’re excited to start with our kiddo down the road here and it’s nice that we have the opportunity this year as well to see Santa and come in and celebrate the season with him even though these aren’t the circumstances we expected but we can still celebrate and enjoy the Christmas season together”, Presley said.
Many neonatal intensive care units have begun to hold special Christmas celebrations to help families of premature babies make it through what would usually be a joyous time of year spent at home.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “It is really heartening to hear about this thoughtful initiative, which is bound to bring a little extra happiness and comfort to premature babies and to the families who love them. For many parents, Christmas does not look the way they expected this year, and they may find themselves spending much of the festive period in a neonatal intensive care unit. Moments like these can help lighten what is often an anxious and exhausting time, and remind families that they are not facing it on their own”.
“The experience of baby Bowen and his family shows just how much these small but meaningful occasions can matter. When a family is navigating the uncertainty of neonatal care, a kind gesture or a special visit can become a treasured memory. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the NICU staff, as well as the volunteers and organisers, who give their time and energy to make these moments possible for babies and their families”.
