Santa has made an early virtual visit live from the North Pole to Royal Preston Hospital to hear the Christmas wishes of the young patients on the Children’s Ward thanks to technology company, Cisco and their Webex platform.
Cisco’s Connected Santa programme gives young patients and their families the opportunity to meet Santa, tell him their Christmas wishes, and check whether they are on the naughty or nice list in advance of the big day. Santa’s elves were on hand at the hospital to spread a bit of Christmas cheer and share gifts with the children in person.
Cisco makes the virtual experience possible by using its Webex video conferencing solution. Using the best quality video, the children can see Santa and his home in the North Pole in brilliant detail and enjoy a magical chat with Santa.
Cisco and hospital staff work closely together to create a magical experience for the children with an elves’ workshop and grotto, which are prepared in advance. Cisco’s brilliant technology means that Santa is even able to speak to the children who are unable to leave their bed via an iPad.
Santa is secretly prepped in advance, by a ‘whisper chat’ between one of his elves, who speaks to the children and their parents, so he will know each child's name, age, and what they would like for Christmas.
The result is a priceless experience and big smiles on the children’s faces, as they wonder how Santa knows who they are and what is on their Christmas list. Afterwards, the children get to spend a special, one-on-one moment with Santa and choose a Christmas gift.
Trust Play Specialist, Emily Jolly, said: “For many children, visiting Santa and telling him what they want for Christmas is often one of the most exciting parts of the festive period. Being in hospital at this time of year can be difficult for many families and may mean that some children miss out on this festive tradition. Thanks to the Cisco Connected Santa Programme, Santa is able to visit the hospital and bring a bit of festive cheer to children and their families.
“Having the opportunity to meet Santa and his elves is such a magical experience for the children and it’s something special for them to remember forever. All the families had a brilliant time meeting Santa. Thank you to the Cisco team for helping to create such a wonderful experience.”
The whole experience would not be possible without the amazing efforts of Cisco volunteers and employees, who donate gifts based on insight from parents and staff at the hospitals involved with the programme.
Thanks to the Cisco Connected Santa Programme, children in hospital are able to enjoy a magical experience, and the visit is one that always puts a big smile on the face of all the children, their family, and friends.
The Cisco Connected Santa programme has been running for 17 years and brings festive cheer to hundreds of hospitalised children in the UK and Ireland every December.
