DOWNTOWN : Hospital Brings Spirit of Santa Claus to Life
The doctors, nurses and staff at California Hospital Medical Center pulled on their black boots and jumped into their baggy red suits to bring some holiday cheer to 400 inner-city children last week.
The private nonprofit hospital, which serves Downtown, South-Central and Pico Union, launched its second annual Operation Santa Claus a few days before Christmas.
They encouraged their young patients and their patients’ children to write letters to Santa Claus to say what they want under the tree this year.
More than 400 children dropped their letters into collection boxes in the hospital.
The staff gathered the letters and tried to fulfill the wish lists by purchasing the gifts with money from their own pockets.
“We wanted to make sure that these kids felt special,” said Shannon Stephenson.
Remote control cars, Power Rangers and Barbie dolls topped the list of requests.
For the little girl who asked for a pony, hospital staff consulted her parents and decided that a rocking horse would be best.
Some staff members spent upward of $100 for bicycles.
“We were both surprised and touched by what we read in the children’s letters,” said nurse Melinda Beswick.
“Most asked for toys but some children merely wrote to wish Santa a Merry Christmas.”
The presents were distributed to the children by old Saint Nick himself at a holiday party hosted by the hospital Thursday.
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