ROANOKE, Va. – Chritsmas may be over, but Santa Claus still had one last stop to make in Roanoke.
The Roanoke Police Department accompanied Santa as he visited families at the Carilion Children’s Hospital.
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That included 7-year-old Declan Nichols and his family. Nichols spent his Christmas undergoing emergency surgery.
“What we thought was a stomach bug turned out to be a ruptured appendix,” said Christopher Nichols, Declan’s father. “My dad died right after Thanksgiving, so it’s been a rough two months.”
Santa, who wore a blue suit instead of his traditional red, gave gift cards to kids like Declan that are still hospitalized.
“Maybe they’re going through some challenging times, and hopefully we can help them through that together," said David Wilcox, a Roanoke Police Department recruit who played the part of “Blue Santa.” "We can give them some joy at this time of year.”
The Nichols family said Declan has been improving since Christmas, and the quick visit by Blue Santa will go a long way.
“It’s been wonderful, it’s been great," Christopher Nichols said. "It’s made everything feel somewhat normal.”