'Santa' Obama pays visit and gives out gifts at DC children's hospital
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former President Barack Obama visited Children’s National hospital in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (The Office of President Barack Obama)
Former President Barack Obama made a holly, jolly trip to a children’s hospital in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, his office confirmed.
Obama appeared to be in the holiday spirit, sporting a Santa hat during his stop at Children’s National hospital in northwest Washington. There, he handed out presents and visited with patients and families, a statement from his office said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“During today’s visit, President Obama greeted individual patients in their rooms and stopped by several playrooms, bringing Christmas gifts that he and his staff had collected,” the statement said. “He had the chance to spend some time with parents and siblings of kids who are spending the holidays in the hospital, and he also recorded a short message for the hospital’s internal TV system, wishing all the patients he couldn’t visit today a wonderful holiday season.”
Included among the gifts Obama was toting: sparkly nail polish and remote-control cars, The Washington Post reported. (The Office of President Barack Obama)
Included among the gifts he was toting: sparkly nail polish and remote-control cars, The Washington Post reported.
Among the photos of his visit was one in which Obama took a selfie with a beaming patient in her hospital bed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Obama bends down for a selfie with a young patient. (The Office of President Barack Obama)
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And in a video shared on the hospital’s Facebook, a group can be heard belting out the festive tune, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
The medical complex thanked Obama for stopping by.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Who said the Grinch stole Christmas?” the post said. “Our patients and their families received a huge holiday surprise when Barack Obama warmed our hallways with a huge bag of gifts for our patients!”
The day was likely to be a memorable one for all those at the hospital, Kurt Newman, chief executive and president of Children’s National Health System, told The Post.
“I know they will be talking about it for years to come,” Newman said. “At such a busy time of year, when no one wants to be in the hospital, his natural warmth lifted the spirits of those kids, their parents and of each staff member he met along the way.”
Fox News' Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.