SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Good Things Utah) - Somehow, Santa Claus seems to always know what people want for Christmas.
For parents who have a baby in the neonatal ICU at the hospital during the holiday season, it can be sad to not be able to take their baby home to be with family, or bring the baby along to holiday parties, family traditions, or visit Santa at the mall.
Instead, Santa Claus made a special visit to see the tiny, newborn babies in the neonatal ICU at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray and posed for photos with each newborn on his lap.
Santa's elves - who also happen to be neonatal nurses and hospital volunteers - spent time knitting caps for each baby to wear and as a keepsake for parents.
"It's nice to have some normalcy from 'outside' when you have a baby in the neonatal ICU. It helps take your mind off the seriousness of it, even if for just a short time," said Shamie Campbell, a parent coordinator in the newborn intensive care unit at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.
Nurses at Intermountain Medical Center dressed up the babies in their knit caps and wrapped them up in blankets and bows to look like Christmas presents.
Another elf, who is a talented photographer, took photos of these precious newborn babies who need specialized hospital care because they were born prematurely or with complications.
"Parents are so grateful to get a picture of their baby to share on their Christmas cards or social media. I can't explain the cheer I see on parents' faces when they watch the photoshoot and receive the photos," said Campbell.
"With parents' permission, we post the photos at the entrance of our neonatal ICU, and they brighten the day of everyone who walks past. You can't help but smile, looking at their cute faces in their little Christmas hats," said Alice Casper, RN, nurse manager of the neonatal ICU at Intermountain Medical Center.
"So far in 2024, we've had more than 3,000 babies born at Intermountain Medical Center and we've cared for 574 babies in our neonatal ICU," added Casper.
And according to Intermountain Health's data crunchers, more than 26,000 babies have been born at Intermountain Health Hospitals across Utah this past year.