Annual Holiday Parade lights up the halls at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital

On Tuesday, kids at Prisma Health Children's Hospital Midlands were treated to the 12th annual Holiday Parade.

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — On Tuesday, kids at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Midlands were treated to the 12th annual Holiday Parade. The parade helps make the season merry and bright for the children who may not be able to go home this year for Christmas.

“We always try to bring the festivities to our kids here at the hospital, because they can’t get out and go to the community parades that are going on right now,” said Christy Fink, Manager of Child Life and Special Programs at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Midlands.

For 12 years, staff have been lighting up the halls with the festive parade. Complete with songs, toys and presents, Santa himself even comes down from the North Pole to visit.

“It’s kind of the same principal of going to a community parade and getting candy, but our kids can’t really have candy so we hand out toys and prizes,” said Fink.

The parade route included all four floors of the Children’s Hospital, and more than 100 kids were able to watch the floats go by.

“It’s kind of hard to measure which one it’s benefiting more; our patients or our team members. But definitely a win-win for everybody,” said Fink. “It’s huge for us to be able to bring these holiday activities into the hospital, because we know that the best health care experiences and the best outcomes come from not only treating with medicine, but also treating the psycho-social side and the spirit.”

“The parade was wonderful, it was really a very  just amazing bright spot. Being in the hospital is never great, and the parade just really brightened our day,” said Josh Johnson, a parent of a child in the hospital.

The parade brought smiles to faces during the holiday season, even if those faces are fighting a battle.

“Seeing your child be sick is the most difficult thing in the world, I can’t even express in words how tough it is. But seeing her face light up, and seeing her be happy just means the world to us. To see her enjoy and get some joy out of these things like the Christmas Parade,” said Johnson.