FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) –  Santa Claus ditched the sleigh Wednesday and took an ambulance to visit the boys and girls at Kaweah Health in Visalia. “This is my third time visiting Kaweah Healthcare," Santa said. "It just brings everybody together, brings more hope.” Organizers say, typically, when people go to the hospital they are suffering. But on Wednesday, they got to experience a little Christmas magic, and with it, a renewed sense of hope. One such patient was 9-year-old Jacob who has been in the hospital for six weeks. He insists he has been good this year – for the most part. “I had my ups and downs,” Jacob said. As Santa made his way through four hospital departments, everyone from the young children to the staff members smiled when they heard jingle bells coming down the hall. “Most people are here during a really hard time. Sickness is a hard time. So being able to bring Santa onto the floors for our patients and our staff it's a really good feeling to be a part of that,” Kaweah Health Director of Community and Patient Experience Deborah Volosin said. Volosin says the Christmas season brings people hope, which can be a powerful medicine. “If you don't have hope, it's harder to get better. But when you have hope, everything looks a little brighter,” Volosin said.