New Brunswick Police Department Brings Holiday Cheer to Children in Local Hospitals

K’lynn Normann’s little face lit up like a Christmas tree.

Santa Claus and about 20 members of the New Brunswick Police Department brought holiday cheer to the Children’s Specialized Hospital of New Brunswick on Tuesday morning with toys, games, puzzles, candy canes, stuffed animals and other gifts for the boys and girls.

It was a moment of sheer joy for K’lynn, who has waged a tough battle with spinal encephalitis. Still unable to talk, it was her spontaneous grin and the twinkle in her eye that said she was excited to receive a doll and other gifts.

She’s been in the hospital since Nov. 5, between the intensive care and pediatrics units. She was so weak when she arrived that she couldn’t squeeze her mom’s finger or give a thumbs-up sign.

“She’s had a lot of spinal taps, a lot of MRIs, so she’s finally starting to get better,” said her mom, Stefanie. “That these members of the police department came here today means a lot. This is wonderful. She is on schedule to be released next week, but still, no kid should have to spend Christmas in the hospital.”

That’s why the New Brunswick Police Department brought Christmas to the children in this hospital as well as the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Saint Peter’s University Hospital.

They spent more than two hours visiting with the children, taking photos and handing out gifts – many of which came courtesy of the PBA Local 23 and Elijah’s Promise board member Ronald Struminger.

The men and women of the New Brunswick Police Department brought the Christmas spirit everywhere they went Tuesday. Even on the ride from one hospital to another, Det. Bill Coleman, dressed as Santa Claus, wished pedestrians ranging from Rutgers students to hard-hat wearing surveyors a merry Christmas from the passenger side of a police car.

“To see the joy in their faces when they see Santa is a good feeling,” Coleman said. “This is my 13th year dressing as Santa and I love it and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Santa, of course, was a hit with the kids. They ran up to him, tugged on his jacket, waved hello, gave him a hug.

One boy at Saint Peter’s insisted on having a photo with Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick and his sisters in front of the Batmobile.

Holy rollicking reindeers! Batman was also part of the festivities, courtesy of the police department’s frequent partner, CarPoint Auto Group.

Batman and his rumbling Batmobile were popular with kids of all ages – many staff members at the hospitals took photos of the famous car.

And as if that wasn’t enough star power, Det. Keven Hendricks donned his homemade Ghostbusters costume – complete with authentic-looking proto pack – and drove the Ectomobile from hospital to hospital.

Although there was Santa passing out gifts over here, the Dark Knight over here and Hendricks-turned-Venkman over there, the kids realized who the real superheroes are.

The police officers.

One older kid, maybe 13, was a little reluctant to join in the holiday cheer at the Cancer Institute. It was hard to tell if she was a little too cool for Santa’s arrival or just wasn’t up for it. After all, she had all the tell-tale signs of a recent round of chemotherapy, including the loss of her hair.

Either way, one police officer noticed her off to the side. She plucked a squeezy, pillowy soft item from the huge assortment of toys and handed it to the girl. The girl took it, held it in her lap, looked it over and literally embraced the small act of thoughtfulness. She turned back to the officer and gave a nod that said thank you for your kindness.

“We are a part of the community, we make up part of this city,” said Captain Michael Bobadilla. “Throughout the year, we deal with a lot of incidents involving children. Through no fault of their own, some of these situations are bad. To bring smiles to their faces at this time of year warms our hearts. We have the ability to do it. Kids look up to us. It’s a way to continue to build that positive relationship.”

Photo & Story By: Chuck O'Donnell