COLUMBIA, S.C. — Dozens of kids at Prisma Health Children's Hospital celebrated Christmas a little early today. As part of Prisma's annual Christmas parade, gifts were brought to child patients all over the hospital.
"We want to make sure that we remember that our children are children and that they would be attending holiday parades right now. We need to bring that to them. If they're here with us this weekend, they're not going to be able to get out into the community, and they need to have the holiday spirit here as well," Christy Fink said.
Christy Fink is the hospital's manager of child life and special programs.
Prisma Health Children's Hospital staff is ensuring every child patient has a special holiday season despite being away from home.
Doctors, nurses, and staff transformed hospital beds, carts, and wagons into festive floats for a parade around the hospital.
"Our patients get to come to their door, and the parade comes to them, and so our kind of the kick-off for our holiday season, and everyone just really gets into the spirit," Fink said.
Mykala Williams' daughter Ember is currently a patient at the hospital, and she says this was the best part of their day.
"It helps them give something to look forward to so they're not just stuck in the room and gets them full of joy and stuff and helps them get toys and keep them entertained while they're here for their hospital stay," she said.