Help Santa’s helper

For years, Sarah Nida has handed out candy canes during the Santa visits at City Hall bringingsmiles to children and their parents.

Now, Sarah needs help.

Fighting two types of pneumonia, Sarah is going into her third week of hospitalization with a machine breathing for her. Her parents are by her side in the Intensive Care Unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in LIttle Rock and friends want to help them.

“Mike is always the first in line to help others,” said Kelly Patton,a family friend.

A fund has been set up for Mike and Shauna Nida to assist in expenses incurred because of their daughter’s hospitalization.

Sarah, 22, was initially hospitalized in Mercy in Rogers. Sarah, the middle of the Nida’s three children, is a Pea Ridge High School graduate. Mike works for the Pea Ridge Water Department. Shauna is a licensed practical nurse at the Community Clinic in Rogers.

Donations may be made to the Sarah Nida Medical Fund at Arvest Bank, Pea Ridge, Patton said.

Sarah is on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), but doctors hoped to be able to remove that Tuesday,April 9.

“We want them to have immediate access to money for necessities while away from home,” Patton said, explaining that neither Mike nor Shauna have been able to work while sitting beside Sarah’s hospital bedside.

“We will be putting out some flyers in the coming days and will be asking the Alumni for space at the upcoming BBQ fundraiser later this month,” Patton said, adding that donation cans will be placed at City Hall and Marvin’s IGA only.

“Anyone who has ever visited Santa has received a candy cane from Sarah, and most people would know either Mike and Shauna or one of the kids from school,” Patton said.