Santa Claus makes pre-Christmas rounds on McKay-Dee Hospital’s neonatal wing
- Santa Claus poses with babies being cared for in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
- Santa Claus poses with a baby being cared for in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
- Santa Claus poses with a baby being cared for in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
- Santa Claus poses with a baby being cared for in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
- Santa Claus poses with a baby being cared for in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
OGDEN — Babies being treated in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital have something in common with Santa Claus this year.
Both came earlier than expected.
Just a week before Christmas, Santa stopped by the NICU to cradle the babies and visit with their families.
“What seems like a little thing becomes very meaningful for families that are missing out on holiday traditions due to an unexpected hospital stay,” said Diane Lund, a registered nurse and NICU manager at the hospital. “The joy and excitement for the parents is evident in their smiles and words of thanks. I am grateful to our parent support team and all their little elves for organizing this and other holiday events throughout the year.”
Santa’s elves, who also happen to be neonatal nurses and hospital volunteers, presented knitting caps they made themselves for each baby to have as a keepsake. They dressed the babies in their caps and wrapped them in blankets and bows to look like Christmas presents while another elf took their picture with Santa.
Babies stay in the NICU if they are born prematurely or have complications at birth. In 2024, there were 2,198 babies born at McKay-Dee Hospital, with 376 being cared for in the NICU.
“Parents are so grateful to get a picture of their baby to share on their Christmas cards or social media. I can’t explain the cheer I see on parents’ faces when they watch the photoshoot and receive the photos,” said Shilo Harrison, parent coordinator in the hospital NICU.
Tiffany Bears, registered chief nursing officer at McKay-Dee, said the photos have been posted with the parent’s permission at the entrance of the NICU.
“And they brighten the day of everyone who walks past,” she said. “You can’t help but smile, looking at their cute faces in their little Christmas hats.”