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By Laura Beke
DALLAS - You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen; Campbell, and Henson, and Reeves, and Williams. But do you recall, the most famous Cowboy of all . . . ? Or maybe: "Twas the twelfth of December, when all through the hospital, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse; the paper chains were hung from the ceiling with care, in hopes that the Cowboys and Cheerleaders would soon be there." OK, maybe not the correct words to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Twas the Night Before Christmas, but those were definitely the words being sung by many of the children at Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas while anxiously awaiting their much-anticipated visit.
The Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders visit, that is, when the club made its annual rounds to spread holiday cheer at Dallas/Fort Worth area hospitals on Monday. The Cowboys players and Cheerleaders also paid visits to Children's Medical Center, Parkland Memorial Hospital, Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and Cook's Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. Joining them in the visits were members of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' family, wife Gene Jones and daughter/director of charities and special events Charlotte Anderson, who now have been taking part in these annual visits for 17 years. Patiently waiting in the 6th floor playroom with coloring sheets set on tables and paper crafts on the windows and walls, the children couldn't stand it any longer. They hung decorations of green and red from the ceiling, from the chairs and from wherever they could. But when the players walked through the doors, dressed in Santa hats and their jerseys, the little eyes lit up like Christmas trees and smiles were aglow.
You couldn't walk around the room for all the happy patients and parents flocking around. Forget about the IV's, the oxygen tubes and the wheelchairs for about two hours - a real Cowboy and Cowboys cheerleader were here to see just them! Not only were the kids excited and grateful, the parents of each child were teary eyed and smiling from ear to ear, grateful that their child could have a break from their everyday routine, and thankful that the Cowboys had taken the time to come. Seyed Nekunazarazad, the father of one patient, said with a lump in his throat, "I'm very happy. It was a change for Jacob to get up from his bed and come here to visit and talk to them so, thank you, thank you Cowboys." Taking pictures, playing pool, signing autographs, coloring, playing video games and just talking to the children were the least the players could do to show how much they cared. Cowboys cornerback Jacques Reeves couldn't have put it any better standing next to one of his biggest little fans, Toni Harris with sparkles in his eyes, saying, "It's great being here. It brightens up our days just by being here. Even with us having a game yesterday, we were tired coming in this morning, and once we got here and seeing the smiles on the children's faces, it just brightened up our day . . . it's a lot of fun."
Carrying sacks full of socks stuffed with surprises, just like Santa, Dan Campbell, Drew Henson and Reeves went from room to room with three Cheerleaders to spread joy and cheer to the children who couldn't leave their rooms. When asked since when does Santa wear Blue, Silver and White, Campbell, who caught Drew Bledsoe's winning touchdown pass in the 31-28 victory over Kansas City on Sunday, simply said, "I guess I do feel like Santa Clause, and, well, I guess today he started wearing those colors. "We do this once a year and it's a great feeling to be able to give something back. What we go through is nothing, and, as football players, if you have injuries and bumps and bruises, it's nothing compared to what these kids go through. It puts everything in perspective."
Shauna Herlehy Stevens remarked while lying on her daughter's bed next to little Vivian, nearly 3-years-old, "We appreciate the players' time and we cherish the moments we get to spend with them. We are very grateful to have the players come and visit - we feel privileged, don't we," turning to look at Vivian petting her hair and drifting off into her daughter's sleepy eyes. But when the players walked through her doorway, Vivian sat right up in bed and couldn't stop grinning and giggling, and insisted on taking pictures of her guests with her camera.
With the day almost over and the Cowboys having to get back to Valley Ranch, they all met back at the starting point, the playroom. What better way to start your Christmas, playing Santa by giving these children a chance to meet Santa's of a different kind. Jacob Nekunazarazad looked up from his wheelchair with a satisfying grin to say, "It means a lot to have the Cowboys come today because it takes a break out of my day of testing, of medications, of going to operations. It gives me a break giving me a chance to relax, have fun and meet Dallas Cowboys players. This is probably my best Christmas present. "I came here (the playroom) not expecting to really have a shinning spot, but when they came, they really lit up and made me feel like a star." To all, a very good day. |
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