University of Iowa Children’s Hospital celebrates, surprises kids in holiday event

IOWA CITY — Jumping off his hospital room couch and sprinting toddler-style toward the floor's shared toy room Friday afternoon, 2-year-old Parker Hopkins' bright orange Raygun shirt said it all.

'This is my fighting cancer shirt.'

Just five months ago, Parker's mom Jordan Hopkins never would have imagined spending Christmas in the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. But on Aug. 13, in the UI emergency room with a sick and lethargic Parker, blood work confirmed he has acute myeloid leukemia.

After four rounds of chemotherapy — the last one just ended — Hopkins on Friday said Parker has overcome the odds. He's thriving. His prognosis is great.

'It stinks being here,' Hopkins said. 'But we'll take one Christmas in the hospital to have many more at home.'

And, she added, it doesn't totally stink being at the children's hospital. The staff — including about 20 who delivered presents to more than 80 pediatric patients on Friday — have been 'wonderful.'

'We didn't even have to really wait for Santa because these people up here are so good to these kids,' Parker's grandmother Lori Hopkins said.

But 'Santa' did come on Friday in the form of a team of UI Child Life specialists who spent the morning sifting through dozens of donations and hand picking presents for the patients they've gotten to know — along with their siblings.

'This is part of what we do to normalize their environment,' said Kathy Whiteside, senior UI Child Life specialist.

When the team of staff members crept into 16-year-old Wyatt Brown-Welu's room with several bags of gifts, his grin said it all.

'He's happy,' his stepdad Matt Johnson said.

So was Wyatt's 9-year-old brother Ezekiel.

'I knew what I wanted for Christmas, but I didn't know anyone was going to get it for me,' Ezekiel said. 'I'm just happy that I got something.'

The children's hospital is on the cusp of major change, as UI Health Care for the last four years has been in the midst of constructing a new $360 million facility. It was scheduled to open Dec. 10 — but officials pushed back the opening date to January or February after construction failed to meet critical deadlines.

Staff and patients alike have said they're eager to get into the new space, although no one was complaining Friday.

Because even with the fears and stress that come with a 2-year-old cancer diagnosis, Lori Hopkins said her family has plenty to be thankful for this season.

'To spend Christmas here — so be it,' she said. 'We're just happy that we have him.'

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