March 22, 2023 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica Grants Patient’s Wish for White Christmas with Daughter

Henry Morales had one wish. The cancer patient at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica wanted his six-year-old daughter, London, to experience a white Christmas with him.

Too sick to leave the hospital, Morales thought his wish might not come true. But his care team had a plan.

With support from other departments, the Oncology staff arranged for a snow truck to bring a white Christmas to Santa Monica on Thursday. The company, Union Ice, crushed large ice blocks to create five tons of snow over a 15-square-foot section of a hospital garden.

London was all smiles as she played in the snow with family and staff members while her joyful father sat nearby in a Santa Claus outfit with oxygen tanks in tow. “This is one of the best days of my life,” a tearful Morales told hospital staff members. “I love you all and appreciate you doing this for my daughter – and me.”

Morales’ mother, Raquel, was equally moved by the gesture. “There are no adequate words for me to express how grateful I am that you made his dream a reality.”

Staff members also donated presents for London, including Disney on Ice and Ice at Santa Monica tickets, and arranged for a special visit by Elsa, a character based on one from the Disney movie “Frozen.”

Patient Henry Morales, dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, poses with his wife, Leah, center, and Elsa while his daughter, London, plays in the snow at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica on Thursday.
Photo by Robert Hernandez.
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