It was five days before Christmas and Santa was in the hospital. Santa delivers gifts to children at Riverside University Health System Medical Center’s pediatric unit in Moreno Valley on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Santa climbs a fire truck ladder Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, during a visit to Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he delivers gifts to children in the pediatric unit. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Santa waves to onlookers Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, as he climbs a fire truck ladder to visit Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he handed out gifts to children in the pediatric unit. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Santa delivers gifts Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, to children at Riverside University Health System Medical Center’s pediatric unit in Moreno Valley. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Firefighters pose for a photo Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, before they hand out gifts to children at Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Santa is seen Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, with Riverside University Health System Medical Center staff and firefighters in Moreno Valley. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Santa delivers gifts Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, to children at Riverside University Health System Medical Center’s pediatric unit in Moreno Valley. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Santa walks between rooms Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he delivered gifts to children in the pediatric unit. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Salem Gibson, 5 months old, smiles Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, as he plays with a new toy from Santa and firefighters. His mother Kathleen Castor helps hold him up in a room at Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Santa visits Riverside University Health System Medical Center’s pediatric unit Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, to deliver a gift to 5-month old Salem Gibson, seen with his mother Kathleen Castor at the Moreno Valley hospital. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Santa climbs a fire truck ladder Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, during a visit to Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley, where he delivers gifts to children in the pediatric unit. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 11Santa delivers gifts to children at Riverside University Health System Medical Center’s pediatric unit in Moreno Valley on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Expand But kids around the globe need not worry — he was only there to hand out toys to young patients. Related Articles Local News | Professing Faith: Lessons learned from Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ Local News | Jurupa Valley kids get free shoes — just in time for Christmas Local News | 12 sexy Christmas movies to stream this ho-ho-holiday season Local News | Law enforcement officers honor Inland Empire hospital workers with Operation Holiday Cheer Local News | Controversial Christmas songs: classic and contemporary tunes that spark Holiday debate With an assist from the Riverside County Fire Department, Santa Claus climbed a firetruck ladder to a third-floor window at Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley on Friday morning, Dec. 20. With the challenging entry made, he strolled through the county hospital’s pediatric unit to cheer up young people who found themselves in hospital rooms this holiday season. The visit was part of the The Spark of Love Toy Drive.