WAUWATOSA — When picking a tree at a Christmas tree farm, the choices can be overwhelming. On Wednesday, 16-year-old Nijah Duke had a lot of options. But one caught her eye.
"This one," she said as she pointed to a tree.
The search was done. She connected with the tree, and the tree connected with her.
"I think I found my tree," she said.
It's LEGO theme.
"We like to play with LEGOs at home," she said.
However, the farm where Duke got her tree isn't like the rest. It was inside of Children's Wisconsin. Duke has been a patient here for years. Her current stay has been almost a week long. Hospital rooms are not known for being bright and cheery, so she finally decided her room needed updating.
"Make it not seem so plain," she said.
This is the second annual Christmas Tree Farm at Children's. Patients staying overnight at the hospital get to choose from 125 different themed trees. It's all about making Christmas feel a little bit more normal and bringing holiday cheer to their rooms.
"And so we know that when kids can be kids and be able to do the things that they're doing at home, and families can be families and actually feel like a cohesive family, like they're still being able to do the activities that they're doing on the outside, they actually cope better," Leslie Scott, a child life specialist at Children's Wisconsin, said.
She has seen the event grow from 75 to 125 trees. Patients and families come through to pick the tree they like the most. For patients who can't leave their rooms, a staff member will video chat with them from the Christmas tree farm and then bring up the patient's choice.
"So to be able to bring that first smile to their face or multiple smiles to their face makes it completely worth it," Scott said.
Which is exactly what Anissa did - smile. That's something she hasn't done in a while.
"She has her pick and choice of what he smirks for," Nadia Jimenez, Anissa's mom, said.
The two have been at the hospital since Thanksgiving weekend. Anissa is nonverbal and has a brain tumor. This holiday season hasn't been the same for the family, but these Christmas trees make things feel a bit more normal.
Watch the story to see what the Christmas tree farm looked like...
"I think it's also about the simplicity of - you miss the home, and you miss your family when you're here, or being able to be around your loved ones, and that kind of brings the comfort of home at where you're staying," Jimenez said.
Nadia and her daughter hope to be discharged from the hospital before New Year's Eve, Anissa's birthday. Nijah would like to leave in the next day or so. Regardless of when they leave, they'll have a bit of holiday warmth in their rooms to make the season feel a bit more normal.
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