Children and newborns seeking treatment at Nepean Hospital received a very special visit from Santa last week, ensuring they were able to capture their treasured Christmas photos.
As an extension of Westfield’s Sensitive Santa and My First Christmas program, children in the Special Care Nursery, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Postnatal and Children’s Ward were given a surprise visit from Santa, with many smiling faces welcoming him as he arrived.
Penrith resident Leana Malcolm said she had hardly given Christmas one thought with all of the excitement around having her baby girl, Elijah. Born on December 2, she was over the moon she would be able to meet Santa.
“Having a baby has been a bit of a distraction so it was nice to see Santa yesterday, warming us up for Christmas,” she said.
“It was a nice surprise for Elijah to have her first photo shoot at the hospital.
“I’m even more excited it’s her first photo with Santa, celebrating her first Christmas.”
Baby Elijah has two siblings who Ms Malcolm said would be very jealous when they find out they missed meeting Santa, but added that they’ll be delighted when she hands them a present each that Santa left for them on his visit to the hospital.
For most children, the lead up to Christmas is full of excitement, anticipation and most importantly, a visit to Santa.
Westfield’s Kate Murphy said they wanted to ensure they could extend the Christmas cheer to those who are having to celebrate the festive season in hospital.
“Many of our customers get the opportunity to come into our centre to experience the magic of Christmas and meet Santa, but for some families this isn’t always possible,” she said.
“We were very fortunate to help create some magical moments with Santa welcoming some of the newest members of our community, allowing families to experience their first Santa photo.
“Santa also took the time to visit the children’s ward to find out what they were hoping for this Christmas.”
Ms Murphy said the visit provided some magic at Christimas time.
“Bringing festivity and joy to families at this time of year is what we at Westfield Penrith strive for and being able to create memories and seeing everyone’s smiles really reinforces that Christmas truly is the most magical time of year,” she said.
With less than two weeks to go, families are still able to get their Santa photos until Christmas Eve on Tuesday, December 24.
For more information or to book, visit bit.ly/2P32Vsq.
Nicola Barton
A graduate of Western Sydney University, Nicola Barton is a news journalist with the Western Weekender, primarily covering crime and politics.