Having to undergo an operation can be a scary thing to endure, especially if the patient is just 9-years-old.
But doctors across the country are finding out there is a little something they can do to help child patients feel less anxious about having to have surgery.
They are ‘operating’ on stuffed animals.
Ryan Jasen, 9, had to have surgery. But he wasn’t the only patient his surgeon, Dr. Travis Groth, operated on that day at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
Dr. Groth also operated on Jasen’s stuffed Mike Wazowski character from the movie, Monster’s Inc., according to Upworthy.
When Jasen woke up, he saw his stuffed friend next to him with bandages just like Jasen’s. The sight of his best buddy looking like him eased Jasen and made him feel happy and relaxed, a great feeling to have while recuperating.
But Jasen isn’t the only lucky kid to have a doctor go out of their way to make a patient feel relaxed and less stressed while staying in the hospital.
Parents of children who have also had to undergo surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin have told stories of their child’s stuffed animal waiting for them when they woke up, bandages and all.
Doctor’s say that stuffed animal surgeries play a huge role in keeping children calm during their hospital stay, according to Upworthy.
Dr. Groth makes sure each stuffed animal that has surgery done mimics that of the patient it belongs to. That way their bandages will match the child’s, and they can recover together.
The extra step the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin takes to make their little patients feel relaxed and special has gained lots of attention and even more praise.
And from the children and their family, well it’s a heartwarming gesture that isn’t soon forgotten.
