Breath-taking experience a festive relief

For the first time in a couple of weeks, Cooper McCook had his breath taken away in a good way yesterday.

The 11-month-old is in Dunedin Hospital because his heart rate has been slowing to about 40 beats per minute, before stopping completely.

"He just stops breathing and he loses consciousness," his dad, Jason McCook, said.

Yesterday, Cooper was so surprised by the sight of Santa Claus dishing out Christmas presents in the ward, he gasped.

"The joy on his face — there’s not really a stranger person, but he definitely enjoyed that," Mr McCook said.

The past two weeks had been very stressful for his family, but Cooper seeing Santa had made their worries evaporate momentarily and had been a great relief.

Mr McCook said Cooper was likely to be sent to Auckland’s Starship Hospital before the end of this week, where he would have a pacemaker fitted.

It was not the first experience the McCook family have had with this condition.

Cooper’s older brother Connor (2) was diagnosed with the same condition about a year ago.

He, too, was sent to Starship and had a pacemaker fitted, and was now a "perfectly normal, active 2-year-old".

So the prognosis for Cooper was good, Mr McCook said.

The visit by Santa Claus was organised by the Santa Parade Trust.

Trust chairwoman Michelle Ellwood said more than 100 presents were brought to the ward — enough to be given to all the children who will be treated in the ward from now until Christmas.

She said the reaction from the patients and their parents was "awesome".

"It’s so worth it. You look around and everyone’s smiling and giggling.

"This is what it’s all about."