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Joshua Crisostomo, of Lynn, is all smiles as he meets Santa during the Baby's First Christmas celebration hosted by Lynn Women's Health Practice. (Spenser Hasak) Purchase this photo

Lynn helps celebrate Baby’s First Holiday

Elizabeth Della Piana

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SAUGUS — Lynn Women’s Health celebrated its annual Baby’s First Holiday party, inviting all of its patients to mark the first holiday for their infants at Fox Hill Yacht Club on Friday afternoon.

“We’ve hosted this event every year, and the babies are a year and under. … I’ve been doing this for over 25 years, and it’s great because you see when all the patients come everybody’s so happy, very appreciative, and they’re so humble,” Practice Manager Sophea Chea said.

She continued that Lynn Women’s Health serves the underserved and that this party is something patients can look forward to, noting that many are returning patients.

“They’ll ask, ‘Oh, are you having the Christmas party again?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, absolutely,’ she said.

During the event, raffles were done every 15 minutes, including gift cards, a stroller, and diaper cakes. The celebration featured an array of food and drinks for everyone, and Santa came to take pictures with all the children.

“Really, the main goal here is to get the community together, especially the moms. They can see that they have support. You know, after seeing them for a whole nine months, they always ask, ‘When am I going to see you guys again?’ and we say, ‘Oh, we’ll see you for the Christmas party.’ So it’s nice to just round everyone up again,” Chea said.

When asked where the idea came from, Chea explained that in 1999, they were at Lynn Community Health Center, and a doctor she worked with, Dr. Lewis Laz, mentioned doing something for the patients.

“Again, they’re underserved patients, and he always had a place for them, and he just wanted to do something nice. … It’s a lot of work, but it’s so rewarding,” Chea said.

She said that they begin planning the party in September to book the venue and ensure they can get everything set.

“My favorite part about this is seeing my patients. Anybody that comes that I invite, they’re always like, ‘Sophea, it is such an amazing event.’ You can just feel it. They look forward to it, and they appreciate it. … When I see how happy everybody is, that’s so rewarding,” Chea said.

Mayor Jared C. Nicholson attended the event, greeting parents and their babies.

“We want you to know that the City is here for you, and we’re so proud of the life that you brought into this world, and are honored to be a small part of it in the sense that we are all raising our children together,” Nicholson said.

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