Mayo Clinic Doctor Becomes Santa for Premature Babies
This is the 14th year that Dr. Jonathan Johnson has turned into Santa at the Mayo Clinic neonatal intensive care unit. He's a cardiologist who has "taken on this role since he was flagged as a resident for having the right body type to fill a Santa suit."
Dr. Johnson tells KARE 11, “'They wanted me in the intensive care unit with the babies because there’s wires and things that some other Santas weren’t comfortable with. I understood where all the wires and tubes were going.'”
This visit from a fake-bearded Santa is very special for the parents of these children who can't go out and meet Santa like other kids. Heather Walker's daughter, Emily, is a month old and is hooked up to breathing and feeding tubes at the NICU. Heather said to KARE 11, “'Yeah, we've had a long journey with Doctor Johnson, so it's pretty special he's here.'”
Dr. Johnson turned into Santa at the Mayo Clinic even before becoming a dad himself to his two children.
Hear some of the stories of other special babies that Santa paid a visit to this Holiday season:
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