Sharp employee brings holiday cheer to NICU families

For the past 15 years, Chris Haynes has been a health care assistant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns.

He plays a crucial role in supporting the medical staff and caring for the newborns every day. His job has him involved in various aspects of patient care, supporting medical staff, providing information to families and doing other tasks to ensure the unit runs smoothly and the infants receive the best possible care.

But during the holidays, he adds “spreading cheer” to his to-do list.

How it began

After joining Sharp, it didn’t take long for Haynes to witness The Sharp Experience in action. Along with the extraordinary level of care being provided, Haynes saw another employee dress as Santa to visit the NICU families in December. He loved watching the smiling faces of the families enjoying a holiday tradition while navigating their child’s first holiday season in the hospital.

Only two years after starting his career at Sharp, the employee who dressed as Santa moved away, and Haynes was approached to take over the role. He jumped at the opportunity to carry on this heartwarming tradition and has been bringing joy to the NICU for 13 years.

“I truly love the whole Christmas season,” says Haynes. “My family always makes a big deal about finding the best Christmas lights in town and trying to fit in as many holiday traditions as possible.”

Haynes dons the iconic red suit and white beard to play Santa Claus, bringing joy and a sense of normalcy to the parents and their newborns during the holiday season.

“One of my most memorable moments was with a set of triplets who had been in the NICU for several months,” says Haynes. “I got to know the parents well during their stay and was honored to be part of their family photo holding all three infants with the parents beside them.”

Holidays in the NICU

With some newborns staying in the NICU for days and others staying for months, the NICU staff becomes closely acquainted with each newborn and family. They all share the same goal — to support the growth and health of the baby so they can thrive at home.

“Having to celebrate a newborn’s first holiday in the hospital can feel isolating and disheartening,” says Haynes. “The whole NICU staff works at bringing the festive season into the NICU to provide some of that joy, and I am happy to be a part of that each year.”

In addition to Santa’s visit at Christmastime, the NICU staff integrates the spirit of each holiday into the unit. They add decorations, offer books and do crafts in celebration of the winter holidays, Valentine’s Day, Easter and more. The dedication of Haynes and the rest of the staff to spreading holiday cheer for the families enduring the challenging journey in a NICU is a testament to the specialized and personal care provided at Sharp Mary Birch.

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