Santa Claus arrived in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Wednesday with a police escort 鈥� not because he was in trouble, but because he was spreading joy.
The (NIH) held its annual “Christmas in July” celebration, a lighthearted event that offers children in clinical trials 鈥� and their families 鈥� a cheerful escape from medical routines.
The day featured an escorted motorcade led by officers from the Montgomery County and NIH police departments, a shopping spree at Target and dinner at Silver Diner in Gaithersburg.
鈥淭his is just a really nice break for families in the midst of what is really a hard, challenging time while their children are undergoing treatments for all kinds of diseases,鈥� Liz Gouldman, director of strategic partnerships and communications at The Children鈥檚 Inn. 鈥淲e try to give them a moment to feel joy and do something special as a family.鈥�
Santa’s motorcade left The Children’s Inn in Bethesda just after 3 p.m., traveling to the Rio Lakefront shopping center, where, after a quick spin on the carousel, about 15 families met officers for a “Shop with a Cop” experience.
Each child 鈥� along with their siblings 鈥� received $50 Target gift cards donated by the Peterson Property Management Group to choose something for themselves or each other. Gelato treats and dinner capped off the afternoon, all donated by community partners.
Among the families taking part were two moms, Selena and Jackie, who鈥檝e become like extended family over the years, despite living hundreds of miles apart.
鈥淲e鈥檙e from Vancouver, Canada, and they鈥檙e from Chicago,鈥� said Selena. 鈥淥ur children have the same really rare blood disorder (Ch茅diak-Higashi syndrome) 鈥� and we found each other when they were 10 months and 14 months old, just as they were heading into transplant.鈥�
Now 18- and 19-years old, their children are still participating in NIH-based research and staying at or near The Children鈥檚 Inn while receiving care. Selena’s family is currently living off-site due to renovations, but they say the community and support The Inn provides remains unchanged.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a place that we can go between appointments and just relax and have some sense of normalcy with other families going through similar things,鈥� Jackie said. 鈥淭his (event) gets us off property, out with the public. Nice dinner out, fun with Santa. It鈥檚 just fun.鈥�
The families recalled doing a similar event over a decade ago 鈥� and how its memory has endured.
鈥淥ur kids are (older) now, but they didn鈥檛 think twice about signing up again,鈥� said the parent. 鈥淲e still talk about it. I think last time we went to Cicis Pizza and Toys R Us. It鈥檚 a fun change from the appointments and doctors and all the talking. It can be a lot for us, and it can really be a lot for them.鈥�
For the Montgomery County Police Department, the event is a favorite among officers 鈥� particularly those in the motor unit who lead the escort each year.
鈥淭his is a way the police department can do some outreach for some wonderful kids,鈥� said Assistant Chief Dave McBain of MCPD Field Services. 鈥淚t gets the kids out of The Inn, gets them into different parts of the county, lets them have fun and forget about all the stuff they鈥檙e leaving behind.鈥�
McBain, who has participated in the event since 2014, said the impact is mutual.
鈥淚f you ever think you鈥檙e having a bad day, you just do this 鈥� and you realize how blessed you are,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese kids are a blessing to us. It鈥檚 just an amazing event.鈥�
The Children鈥檚 Inn, located on the NIH campus, serves as a free 鈥減lace like home鈥� for pediatric patients and their families traveling to Bethesda to participate in cutting-edge research at the NIH Clinical Center. Patients staying at the Inn may be enrolled in studies for cancer, sickle cell disease, rare genetic conditions, or organ transplants, among others. Families are encouraged to stay together during treatment, often for weeks or even months at a time.
鈥淚f your child’s going to be in a study, we want you to stay together as a family unit,鈥� Gouldman said.
鈥淪ometimes, they stay a week. We (also) have children who have been with us for over a year. We try to really just give them a break (from) that routine to come and do something special with one another and in the community we’ve built for them.鈥�
The celebration is expected to return in December with the annual “Santa Ride” 鈥� another beloved tradition that brings police, volunteers and Santa Claus back to brighten the winter holidays.
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