Hospitals see flurry of snowy messages

The Midwest may be shivering through the winter of the seemingly never-ending “polar vortex,” but a few folks are sending warm messages through the medium of snow at two hospitals.

In Chicago, a father and son stomped out “Hi Mom God bless u!” in the snow atop a parking garage at Rush University Medical Center. It was William Hart and his dad, Timothy Hart, sending some love to William's mom, Sharon, who is being treated at Rush for leukemia.

And a pair of mysterious do-gooders have been leaving huge messages in the snow on the frozen Mississippi River just outside St. Cloud (Minn.) Hospital.

At ground level, the patted-down snow doesn't look like much. But from the hospital windows above, the messages are quite clear. The latest are the words “love” and “believe,” along with a peace symbol. Each time there's fresh snow, there's a new message.

Nurse Mary Habiger told WCCO-TV she has seen a man and woman in snow shoes stamping out the messages. She said the mystery man and woman seem well-organized and plan their messages in advance.