Smiles for Surgery

Take a look at this wonderful photo from the Transplant Unit of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. We are so grateful for all the hard work they do and provide. We are very glad to have our guts lend a small hand in the care of these children! 

"Surgery is extremely stressful for anyone; however, preparing a child for surgery is done differently than for adults and has its own unique challenges. Studies show that puppets or toys are useful in this regard to explain and to demonstrate to children what will happen in a medical procedure. They provide a diversion, create a playful setting and help the nurse gain the child’s trust. Staff at the Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh pose with some bodily buddies before handing them off to post-op kiddos."

"For a child that is getting a liver transplant, an appendectomy or kidney surgery, a little plush buddy to take into the OR is just what the doctor (or nurse) ordered! The toys can help nurses educate a child about the part of his or her body we are fixing, and they are also something special that the child can take home with them: a silly and unique reminder of their time in the operating room at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh."