Santa Teams Up With Miramar Police To Spread Christmas Joy At Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The patients at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital received a special delivery Tuesday, and it came from none other than Santa himself.
"Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho Merry Christmas!"
Alongside Miramar police officers, they went door to door on the third floor of the pediatric intensive care unit distributing gifts to children a day early.
Santa and the officers serenaded children bedside with "Jingle Bells" and for those with no contact orders he sang from the door.
For Miramar Det. Carlos Villalona, it's personal. He was there a decade ago with his 20-month-old daughter Amanda Arianna. She spent most her life there before losing her battle with brain cancer. Villalona started the toy drive in her honor, which is going 11 years strong.
"Just seeing the joy in my kids' faces, just seeing how you're here and it seems like it's all gloomy and then all of a sudden people show up and volunteer their time to spread some joy and it goes a long way," he said. "It gives us that little extra strength to keep pushing forward."
For 4-year-old Caden suffering from asthma, who will be home in time for Christmas, the joy was written all over his face.
"Just to be able to see that they care beyond just patient care," said Kia Franklin, Caden's mother. "Patient happiness is a part of the healing process."
