The Children's Ward

by Sri Ajit Halder

Several years ago on a Christmas morning, I heard on BBC TV a reporter’s account of the celebration of this festive occasion in cities and countryside of Britain. The reporter presented a heart-warming story that I wish to share with my readers. It snowed heavily on the previous night; the TV screen showed rooftops, open spaces and lawns covered in snow, and it was a sort of a celebration of a White Christmas. The reporter explained that the word Christmas is a shortened form of ‘Christ’s mass’ which means that on this day the worshippers go to churches to attend masses (saying prayers and singing hymns) to rejoice at the birth of  the holy baby Jesus in an inn at Bethlehem.

The telecast showed several city centres decorated with Christmas trees, and the main city streets looking attractive – with strings of multi-coloured lights, animated lighted deer, snowman and lamp posts clad with chain of lights and wreaths. It also showed groups of people walking towards churches and devotees engaged in singing carols in church halls welcoming the newly born baby Jesus. Then the BBC camera turned to a children’s ward in a city hospital. The ward had the usual array of beds, with a space being created in the middle for a Christmas tree, looking splendid with coloured light bulbs and floral hangings.  A pile of gift parcels well wrapped with shining papers covered the foot of the tree. We were shown the decorated seat of Father Christmas. Little boys and girls, the ward’s inpatients, were all seen in a very happy mood; their eyes sparkling with expectant looks at the gift parcels.  They were visibly excited. The children were talking to each other making hand gestures on the type of present one was expecting to receive, and their chirping rose to an excessive level.

The reporter asked the children what they were expecting as gifts. One child replied he was waiting for Santa Claus to take his seat and he could not wait any more to receive a Spider Man toy from him. When the reporter asked a little girl what her feeling was about the celebration, she was so overcome by excitement that she initially could not utter a word and kept mum. With some prompting from a nurse, she opened her mouth and said she liked the Christmas party and that she would be happy to get a Barbie doll as a present.

The imminent entry of Santa Claus was announced by a nurse and the children jostled to see the majestic figure with flowing robe entering the ward, an eye catching sight indeed. Santa Claus with white beard and dressed in red attire took his seat on the throne. He then called the children to come to him one at a time to have a brief chat and receive a present from him. The children assisted by a nurse formed a queue and approached Santa one by one with awe and wonder in their eyes. After receiving their gifts, the children started showing their presents to each other, looking very happy with what they had received from Santa.

The reporter then moved on to a bed on which lay a boy with his right leg tied to a heavy cord that passed over a pulley.  The pulley was fixed at the top of a pole placed by the side of the bed.  The other end of the heavy cord carried a weight that lifted the boy’s leg above the bed. Needless to say, the boy with his leg stretched by the weight was lying on the bed in a very uncomfortable position. However his facial expression or his voice did not show any sign of discomfort or pain. When the reporter asked him about his problem, the boy replied that since his childhood, he was unable to walk properly without someone supporting him. 

The boy continued to say that the hospital surgeon who operated on his leg assured him that he would make a full recovery, and in time, would be able to walk unaided. He thanked the surgeon and the hospital staff for the caring attention he received from them. When asked if he enjoyed the celebration in his ward from his bed, he answered he liked everything about what was going on in the hall and did not miss anything. He was given his Christmas gift; he opened the parcel and looked very happy with what he received. The reporter then asked him if he wanted to request Santa Claus for a special gift. He replied in a quivering voice: ‘I wish to make just one appeal to Santa Claus.  Santa, please give enough strength to my legs so that I can walk up to the window and watch the boys in the lawn below throwing snow balls at each other. I hope Santa will grant me that favour’.

 
The boy would not request Santa to give him a toy train with which to play for hours, toy soldiers to create a battle scene on the room carpet, or a toy gun to engage in a cowboy like action as seen in the Western films.  Instead, he wished that Santa Claus would strengthen his legs so that he could go to the window to see a group of boys enjoying themselves and thus feel he was in the company of those boys in a joyous, playful mood. I watched that TV programme many Christmases ago and wished that the boy make a full recovery from his illness.  Every year when Christmas comes round, I remember the sight of the boy lying on the hospital bed with a divine glow on his face. I also recollect his very touching, soul-stirring utterances which have always remained embedded in my memory.