GOSH's senior chaplain on why Christmas can be a challenge for the hospital's children, parents and staff

'Here at Great Ormond Street Hospital, there are a myriad of stories on any given day and Christmas is no exception'

Jim Linthicum sees the courage of children and their families who spend Christmas in hospital (Micha Theiner)

One of the best things about Christmas is that it revolves around a story. For Christians, it is considered to be part of “the greatest story ever told”. For most, it is a story that intersects with personal stories, memories, hopes and dreams.

One of the reasons that Christmas can be difficult for some people is the fact that it reminds them of a previous Christmas that was a time of loss and pain, made all the more vivid by the celebrations that seemed to be going on all around them.

I sometimes feel that Christmas is most exciting for children because they don’t have such a huge number of stories collected and the ones they have are full of gifts, Father Christmas and anxious anticipation. Here at Great Ormond Street Hospital, there are a myriad of stories on any given day and Christmas is no exception.

Stories could be told of the carol singing that takes place throughout the hospital, of Father Christmas’s visits and the variety of surprises he brings; of the courage and inspiration of the children and families who are here in hospital on Christmas Day itself and keep on going – a particularly difficult time for those families who have a child in here and others at home; and of the commitment of the staff who spend what for most people is a holiday taking part, not only in healing and treatment, but also in making Christmas a special day for many who would rather be somewhere else.

The thread that runs through all of these stories is that they are not only told, they are lived.

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