Santa Claus took a break from the chaos that is sure to be the North Pole at this time of year to spend a day visiting children in hospitals across the province.

His first stop was Victoria General Hospital in View Royal last Thursday morning.

But Santa opted to leave his regular form of transportation at home, allowing the reindeer to properly rest up before the big day. Instead he touched down to the cheers of bystanders in a HeliJet air ambulance.

Accompanied by his trusty elf, Gizelle Manese, HeliJet president and CEO Danny Sitnam, and B.C. Emergency Health Services Infant Transportation Team paramedic Graem Luis, he wasted no time before heading up to the pediatric ward of the hospital.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of times thereB次元官网网址檚 not a lot of positive things you can have around the hospital during the holidays,B次元官网网址� said pediatric nurse Jessica Fewer.

B次元官网网址淗aving Santa is one of those things that makes a huge difference.B次元官网网址�

She added that while the nurses do the best they can to make the ward as fun as possible for their little patients, itB次元官网网址檚 not always a fun place to be.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of them are struggling with a lot of different challenges,B次元官网网址� she said.

Luis, who is usually flying in the air ambulance for a very different reason, was grateful for the opportunity to help spread some holiday cheer.

B次元官网网址淔or many kids and their families this holiday will be marked by the hospital,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭his is a nice opportunity for everyone to forget the real serious reasons weB次元官网网址檙e in the hospital.B次元官网网址�

One of the first children Santa met in the VGH pediatric ward was Chief Owusu-Nyamekye.

He had just celebrated his fourth birthday on Dec. 14, in the hospital, but hoped to be released later in the day.

He suffers from severe asthma and an underlying condition of sickle cell anemia, which his mom said lands him in the hospital roughly six to eight times a year, usually for four or five days each time.

The soft-spoken little boy lit up when he saw Santa coming. When the jolly old man asked him what heB次元官网网址檇 like for Christmas, his answer was barely audible over the hospital mask he was wearing. But Santa heard him.

It just so happened, that Santa had brought teddy bears for the children he visited B次元官网网址� just what the little boy had asked for.

katie@goldstreamgazette.com