Santa visits 5-day-old baby

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / News Editor for the Southern Standard

Santa greeted one of River Park’s youngest patients, 5-day-old Cierra Shadrick, during a visit to the hospital Monday. Looking on is hospital volunteer Pat Julian. Cierra is the daughter of Bryce and Rebecca Shadrick. (Charles W. Johnson)

During a holiday visit at River Park Monday, Santa took some time out to have his picture made with one of the facility’s youngest patients, 5-day-old Cierra Shadrick. And in fact, Cierra fit neatly into one of the Christmas stockings hospital volunteer Pat Julian helped make for the babies born at the facility during December.

Julian took over the stocking project when the usual seamstress had an unfortunate accident.

“There was a lady who had been doing it for all these years,” Julian said, “and she was not able this year. She had a broken leg. So I just didn’t want them to be disappointed.”

Altogether 55 stockings were made, and though Julian got the materials and cut them out, she didn’t have a serge machine to finish them, but to her delight, that problem was taken care of in true Christmas style when local seamstress Malinda Richardson, owner of Quilts by Maggie, stepped forward and generously volunteered her services.

“I was just in Wal-Mart picking up some things that we needed to make the stockings,” Julian said, “and she heard me saying to the saleslady, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to sew them.'” Richardson didn’t say anything right then, waiting until Julian was alone.

“She just came over to me and said, ‘I’ll sew them for you for nothing,'” Julian said. “I could have just cried.” As a result, the River Park babies got their stockings after all, proving once again the Christmas spirit is alive and well in McMinnville.

The baby occupying one of those stockings was herself evidence of the power of the Christmas spirit. Little Cierra, the daughter of Bryce and Rebecca Shadrick, was born Dec. 17, and according to her mother, was somewhat of an early Christmas present, being six weeks premature, but Rebecca had a pretty simple explanation for why her daughter was doing well in spite of that.

“It’s a miracle,” Rebecca said, noting her first child was quite a Christmas gift. “She’s wonderful,” said her proud mom. “I wouldn’t trade her for a million dollars.”

And Santa, in the person of Carrier employee Art Myers, said he found the day pretty rewarding as well. Since he had already put on the costume for his grandchild’s daycare Christmas party, he decided to see if he could spread some Christmas cheer around some of the rest of McMinnville.

“I called up River Park and asked if they had any children to see if I could make their day a little brighter,” Myers said. Myers spoke to River Park’s Susan Barrett who told him to come on out, and the rest is photographic history. Myers also visited some local health-care facilities while he was at it, obviously enjoying his stint dressed as the jolly old elf.

“They all seemed very pleased to have me,” he said with his twinkling eyes giving away the smile behind his Santa’s beard, “and I’m pleased to do it.”

And to think, there are actually some people who don’t believe there’s a Santa Claus.