Santa Claus made a pre-Christmas visit to children and staff in six pediatric hospitals across the province Tuesday, making early-morning stops at Victoria General followed by Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
The jolly man in red flew in a B.C. Emergency Health Services air ambulance courtesy of Helijet.
It’s the 19th straight year of “Santa flights” for BCEHS and Helijet, which help bring toys and holiday cheer to kids at Victoria General, Surrey Memorial, Royal Columbian, Nanaimo Regional General, Abbotsford Regional, B.C. Children’s and B..C Women’s Hospital and Health Centre.
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said he was delighted at BCEHS and Helijet’s efforts to lift the spirits of children who require care in hospital at this time of the year.
“I am constantly amazed by the tremendous courage and resilience of our children who are bravely fighting to get well soon,” Dix said in a statement.
One paramedic who was along for the ride was Brian Thornburn, one of BCEHS’s specially trained Infant Transport Team members who transport babies and young children with acute or traumatic emergency health needs to hospital.
Thornburn said in a news release that his infant transport team usually meets patients and their families during stressful medical emergencies, “so joining them instead for a wonderful holiday tradition is incredibly special for me and all the paramedics I proudly represent today.”
Also on the flight was Danny Sitnam, president and CEO of Helijet, a privately held Canadian-owned company based at Vancouver International Airport that operates air ambulance helicopters for BCEHS.
