Albion players embarked on a Christmas mission to bring festive cheer to the children’s ward at Sandwell General Hospital on Monday afternoon.
Dara O’Shea, Jed Wallace, Jake Livermore and Conor Townsend all spent time chatting with youngsters and their families, as well as hospital staff.
There were special surprises for the children too, who all received an early Christmas gift from the Albion quartet.
Defender Dara O’Shea says he was “humbled” by the visit and insists it’s crucial the players and the club offer support and well wishes to those facing a challenging festive period.
Dara said: “I’ve been told the club have been doing Christmas visits at the hospital for at least 90 years. I think it’s a fantastic thing to do and to be a part of.
“It’s so easy to get caught up in Christmas and I think it’s really important to stop and think about those who aren’t as fortunate and those who’ll be having a different type of Christmas time.
“It’s humbling to be here. As a father, it’s hard to imagine what these families are going through, especially at Christmas.
“We’ve met some wonderful children, parents, guardians and hospital staff workers today. It was a pleasure to meet them all and hear their stories.
“Seeing the smiles on their faces when we arrived on the ward and when we handed out presents was, again, really humbling.
“I really hope the children and their families can enjoy as much of a normal Christmas as possible and we wish them nothing but happiness and health for the future.”
Dr Nick Makwana, consultant paediatrician at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, said: “It’s always a pleasure to welcome the Albion players to our hospital, especially at Christmas.
“It’s been really heart-warming to see how happy it makes our young patients. No one likes being in hospital, especially at this time of year and it really has brought so much joy to the children.
“It’s very kind that the footballers take time out of their busy schedule to bring in gifts and chat to them.”
