Forget the chimney, Santa brought festive cheer to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow by abseiling into the hospital campus.
Jolly old St Nick was joined by two of his most trusted elves as children and their families watched from the windows and grounds of the RHC.
The abseil, which was organised by Santa’s friends at the Balmore Group in aid of Glasgow’s Children’s Hospital Charity, took place on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s Laboratory and Facilities Management building, on Wednesday December 15.
Delighted families greeted Santa with a rendition of Jingle Bells from the ground as Christmas magic arrived at the RHC.
April Shaw, whose six-year-old son Maxwell is receiving specialist treatment for Leukaemia at the RHC, is unable to spend Christmas at home with family in Sheffield this year but says all of the staff are still making it a magical time for all children on the wards.
She said: “We tried to get back to Sheffield in time for Christmas but unfortunelty it’s not going to work out, it’s been a struggle. But the hospital here and the staff have all been amazing.
“They have put on this show and they do so much on the ward to try and make it as special as possible for the kids.”
April McDaid, Senior Charge Nurse at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow said: “We are so pleased that Santa was able to take time out of his busy schedule to visit the children in such a unique way.
“Christmas is such a special time of year and we always do whatever we can to make it as fun as possible for the children here. With the added challenges of COVID-19, we are so happy Santa was still able to pay us a visit. Our staff have been working so hard, especially over the last 18 months or so, so to see the smiles on faces today was very rewarding.”
With the help of the Balmore Group, Santa and his elves dropped off 1,632 selection boxes, which will be distributed to all the children.
Melanie Hutton, General Manager at the Royal Hospital for Children, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to Santa for coming to visit us and to the Balmore Group and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity for arranging it with the team at the North Pole.
“As we continue to work within the current boundaries of COVID-19, this was such an inventive way to bring joy to the children at Christmas time, they all loved it.
“With Christmas just around the corner, our staff and the Children’s Charity will continue to work to bring festive magic to the wards.”
Kirsten Watson, CEO, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity said: “We’d like to say a very special thank you to Balmore and Santa for bringing lots of festive cheer to the hospital.
“You could see how excited the children were, and the funds raised will help us ensure every child in hospital can enjoy the magic of Christmas. We’re incredibly grateful to Balmore and everyone who has donated to support Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity this Christmas.”
You can donate to the Balmore Group’s fundraising efforts at its Just Giving page.