It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Christmas came a little early for the kids, parents, and staff at six different hospitals across the province yesterday for the 19th year of “Santa Flights”.
On Tuesday, December 12th, Santa Claustraveled by BCEHS air ambulance courtesy of Helijet, and brought his jolly good soul and earned plenty of smiles and lightened hearts as he greeted everyone and took photos with the children staying there.
He visited Victoria General, Surrey Memorial, Royal Columbian, Nanaimo Regional General, Abbotsford Regional Hospital and the BC Children’s Hospital, and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre for the ultimate delivery of Christmas spirit!
“I’m delighted that BCEHS and Helijet are helping Santa make their special hospital run to lift the spirits of children who require care in hospital at this special time of the year,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health regarding yesterday’s event.
“I am constantly amazed by the tremendous courage and resilience of our children who are bravely fighting to get well soon. Santa’s visits not only bring joy and hope to our young patients but also celebrate the dedication of our front-line workers, including specialized paramedics who provide crucial medical care for children across the province.”
Santa had a team of dedicated individuals with him for this year’s Santa Flights too, all thrilled to make this wonderful trip possible.
Included was Brian Thornburn, one of BCEHS’ specially trained Infant Transport Team (ITT) paramedics who care for and transport babies and young children with acute or traumatic emergency health needs to hospital.
Another was Danny Sitnam, President and CEO of Helijet which operates air ambulance helicopters for BCEHS.
“Everyone at Helijet is proud to work with BCEHS and its paramedics to provide 24/7 helicopter service for critically ill patients across the province,” said Sitnam.
“And for the 19th straight year, all of us at Helijet are happy to have this opportunity to help make the holiday season special for these courageous kids and their families who find themselves in hospital instead of at home as Christmas approaches.”
The BCEHS air ambulance program responds to more than 7,900 patients requiring transportation by air through the deployment of six helicopters and 10 airplanes with a dedicated flight crew.
These crews are available 24/7 and are based in Vancouver, Nanaimo, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, Prince Rupert, and Fort St John.
The ITT paramedics are Critical Care Paramedics (CCPs) based at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. They have completed advanced training and provide emergency medical care to pediatric, neo-natal and high-risk obstetric patients.
