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Santa Claus pays a visit to UNM Children’s Hospital
Ditching his sleigh, Santa and his elves touched down in a helicopter
There is no chimney at the University of New Mexico Hospital, so Santa Claus arrives via helicopter.
The Big Man and Mrs. Claus landed on the hospital’s helipad Wednesday morning, elves in tow and with a sack of toys for the kids at UNM’s Children’s Hospital, many of whom will spend Christmas away from home this year.
“The children are absolutely wonderful,” Santa said in an interview. “A lot of them are dealing with very tough health issues, and if me and the elves can help bring them a little bit of joy and lift their spirits, I know that that’s good for the overall immune system.”
Though he prefers to travel by sleigh, Santa told the Journal the helicopter flight was smooth and uneventful. He looks forward to his visits to the Land of Enchantment, he said, because he loves green chile and biscochitos — his “absolute favorite cookie” — which are hard to come by in the North Pole.
“This year, the kids in New Mexico in particular were extra good,” he said.
Among the children who came to see Santa was 6-year-old Lexi Hargrave from Bernalillo, who was diagnosed this year with stage four neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer.
Lexi’s father, Brad Hargrave, said his daughter recently started a new round of chemotherapy, which has taken a toll on her mood and energy levels. Getting to see Santa, Hargrave said, just made her “feel comfortable.”
“It’s so incredible to watch your child just be comfortable at a time when they’re completely miserable,” Hargrave said. “It just does something to you.”
Lexi’s current treatment is scheduled to conclude in the coming week, and if all goes well, she’ll be able to leave the hospital for Christmas.
“I’m excited that we’ll at least be able to be home and be around family and friends,” Hargrave said.
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This year, Lexi asked for an electric scooter. Her dad says Santa got the message.
