For the 20th year, Santa brings holiday cheer to hospitalized children on a very special sleigh

17/12/2024

On Dec. 10, Santa took flight on a BCEHS air ambulance to visit children at six B.C. hospitals including BC Children’s Hospital.

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This is the 20th year of this special Christmas tradition, which is a partnership between BCEHS, Helijet and Old Saint Nick himself.

Joining Santa for the ride was BCEHS Infant Transport Team paramedic and interim unit chief David Nemec, Helijet President and CEO Danny Sitnam, and of course, a trusty elf.

“There’s no greater privilege than being able to give a young baby or a young child a greater chance at life and family,” David says of his work on the BCEHS Infant Transport Team, caring for infants, children and high-risk maternity patients.

David and the other Infant Transport Team paramedics often work on air ambulances, flying to every corner of the province to reach critically ill and injured patients. While David has taken countless helicopter flights in his career, this was his first time joining Santa on his annual journey. For David, who often sees families during life’s most challenging moments, this was a welcome opportunity to be part of a day of joy and celebration.

The flight’s first stop was Victoria General Hospital, followed by Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Then, Santa flew across the Salish Sea to the Lower Mainland, where he touched down at BC Children’s Hospital and was greeted by excited kids and families on the helicopter tarmac. Inside the hospital, he visited with many excited children, handing out teddy bears as he went.

“Santa’s visit makes a tremendously positive impact – not only to bring joy to children receiving care and their siblings as they see him coming down the hall – but also to reassure them that even though they may not able to be at home, Santa won’t forget them,” Mary MacKillop, senior director, Patient Experience, BC Children’s and BC Women’s hospitals.

Santa made his final stops of the day at Abbotsford Regional Hospital, Surrey Memorial Hospital and Royal Columbian Hospital, before heading back to the North Pole, by way of the Helijet hangar at Vancouver International Airport.

As he spoke to the families who’d gathered to great him at BC Children’s Hospital, Santa had a message for all the kids across BC who might be worried that he won’t find them if they’re not at home in their beds on Christmas Eve: “I want all of you to know that Santa will never forget you because you’re in hospital, every child is special to me.”