Santa stops up at St. V’s Neo-natal Department

Billings, Montana – Old Kris Kringle himself visited the neonatal intensive care unit on Thursday morning before Christmas, at St. Vincent Healthcare.

Santa Claus has been seen this week bringing holiday cheer to the community at several public events, but this one is particularly noteworthy.

Families and newborns receiving care at St. Vincent can visit and take pictures with Santa on their first Christmas thanks to the yearly holiday custom.

Our neo-natal ward nurse informs us that having Santa Claus visit new families makes them feel normal while they are going through something unexpected.

“They can’t have their babies at home this year so being able to have Santa come and take pictures and make those memories that’ll last forever is important… creating memories in the NICU we try and do a lot because it is a special time… Time that they won’t get back and you know the first part of their babies’ lives,” said Cassie Brown, NICU RN at St. Vincent Healthcare.

In case you were unaware, this year marked the first time that the level-three neo-natal center at St. V’s in Billings treated a record-breaking three hundred newborns.