CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Year round the gift shop at Driscoll Children's Hospital carries things to help bring smiles to patients, but during the month of December there are some extra special gifts.
December is often known as a month filled with holiday joy with decorations, sweet treats, and carefully wrapped gifts from Santa Clause. In preparation for the holiday season, the gift shop at Driscoll transforms into a work shop, the manager transforms into Mrs. Clause, and the patients become Santa's helpers.
"It is special everyday in this shop for what we do," Kramer said. "Our focus is always on the patients and giving them a break from whatever's going on."
Kramer has managed the gift shop for more than 20 years. She anticipates their holiday project every year. A project that is all about the patients creating holiday gifts.
"That's what makes this place so unique," Kramer said. "Because it's a year round project for the volunteer team on the art cart. They go visit with the patients we make product all year long with the artwork."
The patients create the holiday art work.
"It's very exciting. The kids really look forward to it," Kramer said. "They put a lot of work into this, and to see their hard work and efforts in these beautiful items and to be sold, it's just really great to celebrate the kids this way."
Their artwork is transformed into ornaments, shirts, and even a book filled with their illustrations.
"The artists aren't just from Corpus Christi. They're from Laredo, from the Valley. All their little pictures are featured right here in front of the book," Kramer said.
Although the items have tags on them, those who work in the gift shop said seeing the happiness the event brings the patients is priceless.
"To give those kids a chance to think beyond what's going on currently in their lives and for the volunteers to be able to do that is amazing," Kramer said.
The proceeds from purchasing the holiday cards patients make go right back to them in scholarship funds. If you would like to purchase them or any other items they made this year, click here.
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