By Mason Edwards, Chattanooga Times Free Press

Christmas and surgeries go together like Santa's milk and cookies, at least for some families. Last holiday season marked the first time that Amanda Hardin and her son, Jackson, didn't spend Christmas in a hospital room decorated with paper-cut snowflakes or a Spider-Man-themed miniature Christmas tree.
Like most parents, Hardin felt the meaning of Christmas change when she had Jackson. "Now, it's about making Christmas special for him, celebrating the small blessings of being together, healthy and safe — even in the hospital," she says.
Each December, Hardin sets up an Elf on the Shelf, a tradition not exactly suited for hospitals. "It's one tiny room; we're all sleeping there, and there's only so many spots for an elf to go," she says with a smile. One Christmas, a nurse accidentally touched Jackson's Elf on the Shelf, breaking the "magic." Hardin tracked down Mr. and Mrs. Claus, who reassured Jackson that the elf could still report back to the North Pole. "He felt so honored knowing this North Pole secret that no other child knew," she says.
Jackson's spina bifida requires regular surgeries to keep up with his growth spurts, so his parents let him schedule them. He chooses the winter months so he doesn't have to miss out on summer adventures or swimming with friends. "The surgeries don't upset me because I know they're for the best," he says. "At least I know Santa can find me at the hospital."
His first operation happened shortly after he was born. Now 14, he's undergone 15 surgeries so far. Spina bifida is a rare condition in which the spine doesn't form properly before birth, which left him with mobility issues and other health complications. "Jackson's gone through more than many people will in their whole life," Hardin says. "But he'll be in a hospital bed and is still the happiest kid ever."
She praises the Erlanger Child Life Specialists team, which includes Hailey Thompson, MS, CCLS, who has eight years of experience. Her team "looks at how hospitalization affects children and what we can do to make the best out of a bad situation," Thompson explains. They manage programs like the hospital's holiday shop, which helps families keep their gift-giving traditions. Parents select toys from a room stocked floor-to-ceiling with gifts, which volunteers then wrap and deliver on Christmas morning. Gifts are often picked for the unwell child and their siblings, ensuring no one feels left out of the holiday spirit.

Even in the face of unexpected hospital stays, Thompson's team helps bring a bit of normalcy and joy, as they did for local Chattanoogan Jessie Weaver. Her son, Joshua, was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with a severe case of the flu and pneumonia shortly before Christmas 2022. Weaver spent five days hoping for Joshua's recovery. "We were scared out of our minds," she says.
Joshua recovered, and even though he regrets having missed out on the Christmas lights at the zoo and the holiday music at church, he was grateful that the hospital "really tried to make it feel like it was Christmas," he says.
Other departments at Erlanger also pitch in for the season, Thompson says. For the past 10 years, staff have donated funds to the Parade of Presents, during which they walk through the halls of the Children's Hospital and drop off treats to kids who might not be able to leave their bed. "They brought us a whole cart of wrapped Christmas toys and a little blue tinsel Christmas tree decorated with superheroes," Weaver says.
Child Life Specialists learn about each patient's preferences and interests, adapting decorations and activities to suit children with special needs or health restrictions, such as required isolation. "This is not the story they would write for their lives," Thompson says. "We don't want to miss the chance to celebrate each milestone, because a child's first, fifth or 10th Christmas only happens once."
Programs like the holiday shop and the miniature Christmas trees are entirely supported by donations and local volunteers. Last year alone, residents donated over 300 miniature Christmas trees, and the seasonal influx of toy donations allows them to stock the holiday shop throughout the year. "I've worked several places, and Chattanooga's incredible with their kids," she says.
Iona Jones, president of Erlanger Auxiliary Services, is among the many volunteers who make the holiday events possible. She loves volunteering in the gift shop, especially during the holiday season. The hospital's holiday open house, which kicked off on November 1, features piano music, carols, visits from Santa and a variety of holiday-themed gifts, like jewelry and toys. "We look like Santa's Workshop," she says.
Volunteers like Jones aim to make every person, not just children, feel the magic of the season. "Everybody has a story when they walk through the front door, and they just need somebody to listen to them," she says. "We're always looking for good volunteers."
Hospital staff and volunteer programs make a difference for families like the Hardins and Weavers. Hardin believes that her family's positive outlook, as well as Erlanger's decorations, gifts and Christmas crafts, kept Jackson from being afraid of the hospital. "Even if you go through something difficult, you should always be cheerful and hopeful," Jackson says.
For more information on volunteering at Erlanger, visit erlanger.org/volunteering.
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