Airline Takes Kids From the Hospital to the North Pole
On Saturday morning, 43 kids boarded an airplane in Atlanta and headed to the North Pole.
The kids, who are patients of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center, arrived at the Delta Airlines terminal at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by a special police escort.
They then all got ticketed and checked-in for their journey.
They were then greeted by “elves” (Delta employees) and boarded their flight to the North Pole.
To simulate the “flight,” Delta pilots taxied the kids around the tarmac for about 45 minutes.
They arrived in style and were greeted by more elves.
Then they got to meet Santa!
The kids also got to dance, play games and make crafts. To top it all off, Delta made it snow.
It was a grand holiday adventure these kids surely won’t soon forget.
“Our patients battling cancer and blood disorders spend a lot of time in the hospital over the holidays,” Dr. Doug Graham, Director of the Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, told The Mighty in an email. “It’s so important that they still have opportunities to enjoy the magic of the holidays. Special experiences like this provide a positive distraction for them in the middle of treatment. We are so thankful that Delta goes above and beyond for our patients, transforming their employees into elves and terminals into winter wonderlands. We know it makes a difference.”
Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.
melissa-mcglensey