LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — On Thursday, Dec. 22, Santa made a special visit to pediatric patients at Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas. Instead of arriving by reindeer-drawn sleigh, Santa flew in via Mercy Air, a subsidiary of Air Methods and the largest provider of air medical services in the United States.
"With the rise of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in pediatric patients, a visit from Santa was extra special this year," said Mercy Air Account Executive Tanya Paynter. "We couldn't be more excited to spread some holiday cheer to these kiddos and their parents."
During his visit, Santa listened to patients' Christmas wishes and gave them special gifts from the elves' toy shop.
"Santa flying in to visit the pediatric unit gave patients and families something to look forward to," said Sunrise Children's Hospital Chief Operating Officer Allie Breckenridge. "Thank you to Mercy Air and Santa for making this possible and ensuring pediatric patients got to experience the magic of the holiday season even while hospitalized."
Mercy Air, in partnership with Sunrise Children's Hospital (an affiliate of HCA Healthcare) and local emergency medical services, made Santa's visit possible, including coordinating lift-off and gift delivery.
