Christmas came early for at least 50 children and some elders undergoing treatment for cancer as they danced and sang their hearts out at a carnival in a New Town hospital on Thursday.

The Christmas Carnival, presented by Rotary Club of Calcutta Visionaries and supported by ladies’ group Positive Way, was held at Premashraya, the residential facility for underprivileged cancer patients at Tata Medical Center in New Town’s Action Area I.

An eight-year-old boy from Jalpaiguri was the dancing star at the session conducted by a professional dance troupe, Sangvi Dance to Express.

Sporting a Santa hat over his baseball cap, the boy who was diagnosed with blood cancer six months ago rocked the dance floor along with a 60-year-old woman, who had undergone chemotherapy in the morning before slipping into a festive red dress for the evening do.

“He has been under treatment for the past four months. We brought him here in October and he has been here since,” the boy’s father said.

Nearly all the nurses and guards at the facility jostled to take videos and groupfies with the duo.

The carnival also had on offer outdoor activities such as toy train rides and a musical performance by a band.

The participants could also win prizes by taking part in board games.

A six-year-old girl from Bangladesh, with fluffy cheeks and two missing teeth, walked up to her mother and asked if she could munch on a packet of chips and eat the bar of chocolate she had won in a game. The girl has been undergoing chemotherapy for blood cancer.

A man in a Santa Claus outfit moved around, distributing toffees to children and adults alike.

Sudeshna Dutt, the head of operations at Premashraya, said the programme was a welcome break not only for the patients but also for the employees of the facility.

“It is wonderful to have such sessions. It brings joy to children, men and women who are fighting odds every day. We try to keep the morale high of those who stay here and sessions like these help greatly,” Dutt said.

The children received toys, chocolate and other gifts from Rotary Club. “We usually spend Christmas with family and friends but this time it was really special as our club members got a chance to turn Santa for a day and spread smiles,” Vidhi Chandak, the secretary of Rotary Club of Calcutta Visionaries, said.

Club president Vikas Jain said the dance session, games and rides had been carefully planned out so that they were not too taxing.