Christmas came a little early this year to the young patients at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, thanks to the kindness of technical wizards at Presidio and Cisco Systems.
Through the Cisco Santa Connection, patients who are unable to celebrate in the comfort of their own homes due to illness can still experience the magic of the holiday.
Using a video monitor and web-enabled camera, Santa “virtually” visited with children in the third floor playroom who were eager to discuss their holiday wish lists. The children, who were led to believe that Santa was communicating live from his home in the North Pole, delivered a list that ran the gamut from electric guitars and video games to toy trucks and art books.
In the meantime, Santa (who spends the rest of the year as a Cohen Children’s employee) spoke lovingly to the children who were accompanied in the playroom by Child Life staff members dressed as elves and other holiday characters.
And, for those who didn’t feel well enough to leave their rooms, a mobile cart or iPad enabled with Cisco Jabber software helped Santa travel room-to-room for a personalized bedside visit – all of this without once leaving his workshop in the North Pole, according to the children.
“We’re so happy that Cisco was able to bring their expertise once again to Cohen during this holiday season,” said Danielle Young, special events and donations coordinator at Cohen Children’s. “Thanks to them, we are able to bring Santa to the children. During this time of year, it’s very difficult for children and their loved ones to be away from home. Events such as these help make Chanukah and Christmas a happier time for these families.”
