Santa surprise for Grace, 2, on first outing
A TWO-YEAR-OLD waiting for a heart transplant visited Santa at Fenwick Newcastle’s rooftop Christmas grotto after staff and doctors “bent over backwards” to help her enjoy some festive cheer.
Freeman Hospital patient Grace Westwood has an artificial “Berlin heart” – a pump which has taken over the job of pushing blood around her body as she has cardiomyopathy.
She was also the first patient in the UK to be fitted with a “mobile driving unit”, which means she is able to leave her hospital ward for hours a time.
This meant that parents Darren and Becci were, with the help of enterprising medics and staff at Fenwick, able to surprise Grace with a very special first trip away from the hospital’s grounds.
“It came as a surprise one day,” said mum Becci. “They told us they were planning to take Grace to see Santa, we just broke down and cried.
“We’ve been able to go out to the park, have picnics – weather dependent – but this would be her first trip out of the hospital grounds since we have been on the unit.”
Grace’s consultant, Dr Emma Simpson, said she was initially worried about the plan, but NHS staff worked with Fenwick to give the toddler a Christmas experience to remember.
The idea was first suggested by children’s physio Karen Caulfield and nurse specialist Claire McGraith, both of whom work with Grace.
The toddler currently calls the Freeman’s Ward 23 home, and her family has moved to Newcastle to be close-by while she receives treatment. She was first diagnosed in March 2020.
Dr Simpson added: “The staff at Fenwick bent over backwards to make sure we were able to make this very special visit for Grace and her family.
“Including closing the shop for a period of time to ease our worries of crowds, and allowing our teams to make extra cleaning requirements to meet infection control standards.”
Staff had to take into account things like where power supplies were and shop staff were treated as NHS employees and needed to be fully vaccinated.
Grace was taken into the centre of Newcastle in a specially festive ambulance by off-duty staff from the North East Children’s Transport and Retrieval (NECTAR) NHS service.
“The team decorated the ambulance with fairy lights pictures of Santa, and we all dressed in coordinated Christmas outfits – they really made the journey special,” Dr Simpson continued.
Grace’s dad Darren said the outing, which included older brother Josh, was a special family moment.
He said: “Becci and Josh went last year to look at the Fenwick Christmas windows, but to be able to go to go into the grotto to see Santa as a family was really special. I thought because Grace hadn’t been outside of the hospital in an environment like that she’d be upset – but she loved every minute.
“The staff were amazing. We got to sit there as a family and have a bit of nor
mality. We had a hot drink and a cake and watched them play y together in the snow. We were e given the freedom to do what you u would normally do as a family.
“We would like to say a massive e thank you to everyone who helped d organise this magical time.”
Grace was also even able to see e the iconic Fenwick Christmas s Window.
Kieran McBride, the depart- ment store’s director, said: “To be e able to host Grace and her family y and spread a little festive cheer r was an absolute privilege for r myself and the whole team.
“I think Santa was as excited d to meet Grace as Grace was to o meet him as he’d heard so much h about her inspirational story.”
The trip was supported by y the Children’s Heart Unit t Fund and Newcastle Hospitals s Charity.