Prisma Health Children’s Hospital brings festive fun inside through holiday parade

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — It can be hard to feel festive if you are in the hospital during this time of year.

However at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital, the team worked to bring the holiday fun inside to their patients Friday morning.

“It’s such a wonderful day at Children’s Hospital. It’s the most wonderful time of the year so we’re bringing a holiday parade to our children in their rooms who can’t get out to community parades this time of year,” said Christy Fink with Prisma Health Children’ Hospital. 

Hospital beds turned into floats Friday morning at Prisma thanks to the children’s hospital staff. 

“I know we have ‘Grandma got run-over by a reindeer’, baton twirlers, Santa and lots of pajamas,” Fink said. “The staff goes all out. They love it and get so much out of it that it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Prisma Health patients say that the extra effort from the team at the hospital makes a difference. 

“If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have been able to get through so much of this,” said Courtney McCullough, mother of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital patient. “They are there emotionally and it means so much to us.”

“We want to make sure that they’re enjoying things that children should enjoy. Here at Children’s Hospital, we want to treat the whole patient,” Fink said. “We have our medical team making sure they get what they need on that side. We also have our child-life and psychosocial team putting on special events so that children can be children while they’re here.”

The children at the hospital Friday received gifts, games, books and more thanks to donations from community partners. 

“Our whole goal is to make sure that we’re getting compliant adults. If we make sure children are not afraid of the hospital by giving them a positive experience, the likelihood of them taking care of their health is higher. We’re making sure we meet all those needs,” Fink said.

“I am blessed to have the hospital family that we have at Prisma Heath,” McCullough said.

“When you interact with any of our team members, you can feel their love for their job, people they get to work with and the children we get to care for,” Fink said. “It’s a privilege and we all know that. We’re so fortunate to be able to do it.”