Santa Clause, Mrs. Claus and elves visited with and give out blankets, stuffed animals, coloring books and crayons to patients in the UMC pediatric ward and Southwest Cancer Center on Tuesday.
Five-year-old Brewer Johnson woke up to an early Christmas surprise when Santa came by his room.
“It’s really hard to be here during the holidays and not have family here,” said Karie Harrison, Brewer’s mother.
So when Santa arrived at his room, Brewer knew just what to ask for.
“A bike,” Brewer told Santa.
However, his biggest holiday wish is to to go home for Christmas.
“Just having people come by and say that they love you and here for you and just feeling the support from everyone in the hospital is good,” Harrison said.
“The joy that we see from the kids when they’re excited about Santa coming, and kids will run towards Santa, just hurrying to get to Santa that has been a wonderful experience,” said Warren Hatley, director in the department of Pathology at TTUHSC who dresses up as Santa.
Santa says he only has a few days until he has to go back to the North Pole, to check all the lists.
“I’m getting more out of it than they are truthfully,” Hatley said. “Santa might be coming back to UMC next year.”