For many adults, hospitals can be a frightening place. However, when it comes to children, they can be downright terrifying, as their experiences are often much more stressful than those of adults.
Recently, a five-year-old boy named Slade Thompson hade to undergo two surgeries in a short amount of time. His mom Layla told Liftable how her son was having trouble walking as he had to take steps using his toes, instead of his entire foot.
However, the doctors at the UPMC Susquehanna Health in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, made sure they took good care of the young lad and he was on the road to recovery. But, after the surgery, Slade had to use a wheelchair for two months.
He’s been through a lot this last year,” Thompson told WNEP-TV.
“We had been in the children’s hospital,” she went on, “so we were kind of nervous just going to a hospital to have it done.”
Shortly after her son recovered from his first surgery, he underwent another operation. This time doctors needed to cauterize Slade’s adenoids, tonsils, and both sides of his nose. The surgery was successful, and Slade was just about to wake from anesthesia.
“Kids don’t typically come out of anesthesia very happy,” Slade’s nurse, Annie Hager, told WNEP-TV.
However, when Slade woke up and realized that he was still at the hospital but did not see his mom by his side, the young boy became terrified and started crying. Luckily, the nurse who was coming to check on him was able to comfort the sweet boy. She also told him that everything went well and that his family was just outside waiting for him to wake up.
Nurse Hager indeed did a remarkable job. She was there for a scared little boy in his time of need.
“When I told him mom couldn’t be there, he asked if I would snuggle him and I said, ‘sure will,’” Hager explained.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw8VuJpnWlj/?utm_source=ig_embed
As for Layla, who was eager to see her son, the moment she entered the room and witnessed the nurse hugging her child, she knew right away that she needed to capture this special moment forever. So she snapped a picture of her son in Nurse Hager’s loving embrace. The photo was meant to serve a sweet reminder of how warm Nurse Hager was to her son, but as soon as she shared the photo on social media, it went viral in an instant!
“As a nurse, providing care is one thing, but making sure our patients are calm and comfortable matters just as much,” UPMC wrote on Facebook.
“It’s nurses like Annie — who show true compassion — that keep our patients happy.”
https://www.facebook.com/UPMCSusquehanna/posts/2739519222730697:0
You want someone to treat your child the way you would treat them,” Thompson told WNEP-TV. She and Slade returned to UPMC with a gift and thank-you hug for the special nurse.
“This little guy touched my heart, and his mama’s beautiful kind words and actions have brought tears to my eyes twice now!” Hager shared on Instagram. “This right here is why I LOVE my job.”
Slade’s mom also mentioned how she spoke with her son about the surgeries beforehand as she believed that familiarizing her child with the procedures would help him better cope.
“The parents can be calmer, kids can be calmer, everything just runs smoothly,” she said.
“I would tell other parents to confide in other parents who have had similar situations but also remember one bad experience with one person doesn’t mean you will all have that,” she cautioned. “Every person and case is different.”
Perhaps the most incredible part of this story is that nurse Hager was supposed to be off the day of Slade’s surgery, but she was called in because they were short-staffed.
We salute this loving nurse, who Slade now considers his new best friend. She made all the difference in the world to a scared little boy, and we believe that it’s folks like her that this world needs to take more time to celebrate.
What are your thoughts on this touching story? Let us know in the comments below, and please remember to share this charming tale with your friends and family.
