For families spending the holidays inside a hospital, even the smallest moments of joy can mean everything.
A Holiday Surprise From the Rooftop
Kids at Cohen Children’s Medical Center on Long Island got a holiday surprise they’ll probably never forget, and it came from above. According to reporting from Hoodline, Nassau County police officers made an unforgettable entrance by rappelling down the side of the Blumenfeld Family Pavilion. Patients looked out their windows to see officers dangling from ropes, waving and smiling as they descended the building. Once safely on the ground, the officers didn’t stop there.
As ABC 7 reported, they went room to room delivering gifts directly to children, making sure no one missed out on the holiday magic. Overseeing it all was Santa Claus himself, watching from a cherry picker like the ultimate Christmas supervisor.
Santa and Officers Spread Cheer Room to Room
That same spirit carried over to Queens just a few days later. In Bayside, the NYPD continued a tradition they’ve kept going since 2013 at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. The annual visit is designed to bring joy to kids dealing with long-term and complex medical conditions, and it’s become a highlight of the season.
Officers filled the hospital with holiday cheer by singing carols, helping with arts and crafts, and even introducing kids to NYPD horses. Sean Lally, executive vice president of St. Mary’s, told PIX11 that the department shows up in a big way every year, bringing officers from units all across the city to make the day special for the hospital’s 124 medically complex children…