Having to spend time in the hospital during the holiday season can be markedly difficult for kids, resulting in withdrawal, gloom and resentment, especially if they have to miss the festivities and fun at home and school.
To help combat loneliness, reduce anxiety and restore a sense of normalcy and hope to the young patients at South Texas Health System (STHS) Children’s this holiday season, the facility partnered with the Texas DPS Troopers Foundation to welcome Trooper Santa for the second consecutive year.
On Thursday, December 11, 2025, dozens of pediatric patients at STHS Children’s had the chance to interact with Trooper Santa, a former Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper who leads a region-wide initiative to collect and distribute new and unwrapped toys to children in need across South Texas, including those hospitalized at STHS Children’s.
“Trooper Santa’s special visit to STHS Children’s is about more than spreading holiday cheer to the young patients in the facility’s care; it’s about providing them a vital distraction from their treatments and illness, a way to offer hope and create positive memories that they’ll carry with them long after their hospital stay,” says Tom Castañeda, System Director of Marketing & Public Relations, STHS. “For the second year in a row, Trooper Santa has provided our pediatric patients a moment of joy, wonder and play that helped turn their worry into happiness during a challenging time in their young lives.”
During his special visit, which took place in the STHS Children’s third floor pediatric playroom, Trooper Santa distributed presents, participated in a special coloring activity and took photos with patients and their family members.
For those patients confined to their rooms due to doctor’s orders, Trooper Santa went room to room to ensure they didn’t miss the excitement.
It’s all part of the Troopers, Toys & Teddy Bears Toy Donation Drive hosted by Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association, the Texas DPS Troopers Foundation, STHS and Divine Pharmacy. Through donations received from kind-hearted community members, the program benefits underprivileged and hospitalized children across South Texas, including those in the Rio Grande Valley.
If you’d like to help Trooper Santa spread holiday cheer this Christmas, you’re invited to take part in the drive. Now through Friday, December 21, 2025, toys valued at a $5 minimum can be dropped off in the donation boxes placed near the registration/security desks at the main entrances at all STHS locations.
For more information, contact the STHS Marketing Department via email, sthsmarketing@uhsinc.com, or call 956-388-2020.
About South Texas Health System
South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system's South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.
