The little boy that I've been taking care of since the summer is starting to go through a bit of stranger anxiety....particularly men! Every time new people walk through the door, he looks right at me with this terrified look. And then it's an all out wail!
Except you really can't hear much of anything because of his trach. His face just scrunches up really tight and the aligator tears start flowing!
But whether or not a sound comes with the wailing, he looses it...until the man leaves! It really makes the many doctors walking into his room throughout the day a joy for him : (
But yesterday was a little different!! The respiratory therapist we had typically works on the floors, not in the PICU, so I dont' really know him that well. What I do know is that he is a new face, and a man...a rather large man! I saw him coming down the hall headed into our room and thought, "Oh boy, here we go!"
But as the therapist walked in, the little guy LIT UP! Like a Christmas tree!! He was smiling from ear to ear, shaking his head (that's about all he can move because of his stenosis- see THIS post) and SO happy!
So what was with the sudden change!?!? The patient's dad was in the room, and he said "I think he thinks you're Santa Claus!" And sure enough, at the mention of Santa, the little boy went crazy! He couldn't stop smiling and doing whatever wiggling he could out of joy!
It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen! Now, I'm pretty sure the therapist didn't appreciate being called Santa, but hey, when you're a fluffy/pudgy/stout man with white hair and a long white beard, you pretty much just gotta expect it....right!?
If he wasn't so offended, I would have taken a pic to show a side by side comparison. But either way, whether or not he liked it, this respiratory therapist made the day of my little guy! And that made it all worth it to me!! Can I get a "Ho Ho HO!" : )
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