WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and his spouse, first woman Jill Biden, visited Youngsters’s Nationwide Hospital on the Friday earlier than Christmas to go to with sufferers and skim a narrative.
Sitting in entrance of a towering Christmas tree, the president helped maintain the guide whereas the primary woman learn “The Snowy Day,” an award-winning story a few boy named Peter and his adventures within the snow. This yr is the sixtieth anniversary of the guide, written by Ezra Jack Keats.
Jill Biden famous that Washington “had just a little, tiny little bit of snow” Friday as temperatures plunged. “Did anyone see it?” she requested.
When the story talked about Peter and snow angels, she requested how most of the sufferers had ever made them. “I liked to try this,” she mentioned.
When completed studying, the primary woman mentioned, “Merry Christmas and comfortable holidays everyone. Thanks for coming and listening to me learn and have the president maintain the guide.”
“That’s my job,” he added.
Biden and his spouse additionally met in non-public with pediatric sufferers and their households. The White Home mentioned in addition they thanked medical doctors, nurses and employees, together with on the hospital’s cardiac intensive care unit.
Jill Biden‘s go to continued an 80-year annual custom relationship to Bess Truman of first girls bringing vacation cheer to kids who’re too in poor health to be at residence on Christmas. President Biden joined his spouse final yr, making the primary go to by a sitting president.
Kurt Newman, the hospital’s president and CEO, mentioned he requested the president final yr to return this yr and exclaimed, “Look, he did!”
“It’s so necessary to all of our households, our children and our employees as a result of there’ve been loads of challenges,” Newman mentioned of the go to. ”We stay up for seeing you subsequent yr.”
Earlier than leaving, the president advised dad and mom within the viewers to “be sturdy.” He mentioned his household has spent loads of time in kids’s hospitals, too. “It’s gonna be OK,” Biden mentioned.
