SPOKANE, Wash. — Newborn babies and their families at MultiCare NICU got to celebrate their first Christmas Tuesday with a special visit from Santa.
Each newborn was given their own stocking sewn by volunteers and took their very first picture with Santa Claus.
“This is her first Christmas. She got to experience Santa for the first time in the NICU,” said new parents Payton Ayers and Ashley Lopez.
Having a baby in the NICU can be overwhelming, but the MultiCare nurses wanted to create a sense of normalcy during a not-so-normal time.
“It’s hard for people to be in the hospital,” NICU nurse manager Sarah Hurley said. “It’s hard to have a sick baby in the hospital. And then, especially around the holiday season, it is really difficult.”
They created that normalcy by having Santa pay a visit to the tiny patients.
“Santa is something that most families celebrate with Christmas,” Hurley said. “To be able to have Santa come in and be something that’s normal for a family is really important.”
Lauren Grant is a nurse at MultiCare. Five years ago, she spent seven weeks with her daughter in the NICU.
“Having Santa and the stockings and all the mementos through the holidays helped create traditions that we would hopefully be doing at home,” Grant said.
While pictures with Santa help spread holiday cheer, Ayers and Lopez, who had their daughter only 4 days ago, say she is the biggest source of cheer this Christmas.
“That’s what the whole family’s been saying. You guys don’t have to get us anything you already gave us the best gift,” the couple said.
A gift they hope to take home very soon.
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