Santa made a few early deliveries Tuesday at the Research Medical Center, making stops at the center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
He visited babies, like Gunnar Jones, who’s just eight days old.
Gunnar was born seven weeks early.
“He was due January 27, and just showed up last Monday,” Gunnar’s mom, Lexi Jones said. “We still don’t know why, but he’s here and he’s doing really well.”
With Gunnar staying in the hospital for the holidays, Jones says plans have shifted a little.
“You have these expectations that oh, you have your baby and then you take him home. And you hang out with him, but you know, when you're in here, you see your baby maybe four or five hours out of the day,” Jones said. “Then you're going back and forth and you're exhausted and you're trying to take care of yourself physically while trying to make sure you're here for him emotionally and physically, so it's been hard but everybody here is so nice and you really feel like you're taking care of your baby.”
Although his first Christmas will be in the hospital, staff members say they’re doing what they can to make sure families feel at home for the holidays.
“It is stressful, it's not what they expected,” NICU Manager Jennifer Heiting said. “They pull together and do what needs to be done to help these parents and get these babies home.
Dr. Rob Holcomb, a neonatologist dressed up as Santa for the 5th year in a row, taking pictures with young Gunnar and his family. It’s something Jones says she’s thankful for.
“It feels great because they're in here, so you don't feel like they're missing out on their first Christmas cause you know he's not going to get this Christmas back,” Jones said. “So you know it's nice that they really try to make it feel like it is Christmas, even though you're in a hospital.”
Jones says it’s a new memory that will last a lifetime.
“Since he won't be home for Christmas, it's nice that I know like me and my family can come up here and visit him and we can still get the traditional Santa picture that's going to haunt him through high school and college,” Jones said.
Dr. Holcomb made a total of four stops to spread holiday cheer at HCA Midwest Health NICUs: Centerpoint Medical Center, Research Medical Center, Overland Park Regional Medical Center and the Menorah Medical Center.
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Rae Daniel can be reached at Rae.Daniel@KSHB.com.
