Virtual visits with Santa lift spirits at IWK

Children at the IWK were visited by Santa Claus virtually Thursday and hospital child life specialist Krista Naugler said the mood was “wonderful.”

“It was a nice opportunity for kids to not miss out on something just because they are in the hospital,” said Naugler.

The Connected Santa program, where Santa virtually visits children in hospitals across Canada, has been coming to the IWK for 11 years. This year, kids got one-on-one time with Kris Kringle.

While children may be in bed, they see Santa Claus sitting in his decorated North Pole office with snow coming down outside the window, and it’s a warm, holiday sight. Children from every ward in the IWK get time with Santa, they get to ask questions and tell him about themselves through a tablet.

“It boosts morale for everybody at the hospital, to see the kids' faces light up as they get to talk with Santa…it boosts morale for the kids and the parents, but also the staff. Seeing the kids' eyes light up is really something special.”

Visiting online ensures children who are immunocompromised are safe, while still giving them a cherished holiday experience.

Alyssa Copp is the CSR Program Lead at Cisco Canada, but for this program she’s “head elf.”

“Connected Santa is the most cherished program Cisco does,” said Copp. 

Copp said the kids at the IWK asked a lot of questions about reindeer, and a lot about Santa’s age. “There are a lot of questions about how old Santa is, they’re always surprised to see how tech savvy the old guy is.”

Copp says Cisco staff involved wait all year for the special holiday event, “it’s pretty magical, there’s lots of excitement.”

This year, there have been virtual Santa visits at Surrey Memorial Hospital in BC, Stollery Memorial Hospital Edmonton, Saint Justine’s in Montreal, Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary, and it’s on the way to Holland Bloorview in Toronto.

“There are still great things happening for the children over the holidays who are in the hospital, who don’t get the chance to visit Santa at the mall or go to the parades,” said Copp.

 

NOTE: This is a corrected story. An earlier version used an incorrect name for the hospital in BC.