Having surgery is at GRHS child’s play

Our Kid Gloves Are On

Upon arrival in the unit where patients get ready for surgery, children find a personalized welcome sign and a smiley-face balloon. Next, they pick out and change into colorful “surgery pajamas” and their very own souvenir cap sewn by a GRHS volunteer. The cap patterns include superheroes, dinosaurs, cartoon characters, puppies, sports teams and more. We also provide an age-appropriate explanation about the upcoming surgery, plus coloring books, DVDs, and other activities to keep kids busy (and distracted) until it’s time to go.

Thanks to a gift from the Sibley and McLeod County Farm Bureaus, the highlight of surgery for 99.9 percent of kids is traveling to the operating room (OR). They can go in a wagon, on a tricycle, or behind the wheel of a battery-powered toy tractor. Parents can go along and even stay in the OR until their child falls asleep under anesthesia.

10, 9, 8, 7…

Our nurse anesthetists help children feel at ease when they arrive in the OR. Kids get stickers to decorate the mask that covers their nose and mouth to deliver anesthesia. They also pick out a lip balm flavor and rub it inside their mask. A familiar

Lily’s in Bloom, continued from page 1

“Our goals are for Lily to stand and move from one spot to another without using her gait trainer or other supports,” comments Jen.

Lily’s sessions with occupational therapist Jenna Knudtson, OTR/L, focus on fine motor activities to improve her ability to cut, draw and write letters. “Lily is changing daily and her skills continue to progress in ways many people did not expect,” Jenna says.

At 16 months, Lily started working on prelanguage skills with speech therapist Leah Seifert, MS, CCC-SLP. “Now she communicates verbally nearly all of the time,” adds Leah.

Dr. Kalina explains, “Children’s brains are resilient and oftentimes find ways to ‘rewire’ around damaged tissue.”

Lily Keeps Growing

Today, the active almost-five-year-old with wispy blonde hair loves books, making friends and asking for hugs. She’ll start kindergarten in the fall. Lily knows her colors, shapes and numbers, and speaks in complete sentences. She follows her three-yearold brother, Grayson, anywhere he goes.

Dr. Kalina and Lily have become special friends. They take a walk together before each appointment. At a recent visit, Lily held Dr. Kalina’s “telescope” [stethoscope] and described each part. “Every day, Lily shows us something new,” Sarah says with pride.

“Lily is changing daily and her skills continue to progress in ways many people did not expect.” scent eases the process of going to sleep. (The most popular is bubble gum.)

We encourage parents to bring their child’s favorite comfort item, such as a pacifier, blanket or stuffed animal, into the OR to help with falling asleep. Counting backwards from 10 helps, too. Whenever possible, nurses won’t start intravenous (IV) lines until the child has drifted off.

Fundamentals In Place

“Parents can be assured that our surgeons and surgical nurses have advanced training to address any situation that might occur,” says Halverson. In fact, every member of GRHS’ surgical team is certified in pediatric advanced life support.

PRE-SURGERY TOURS

Not knowing what’s going to happen can make anyone feel anxious. That’s why we offer pre-surgery tours for patients of any age. Meet our friendly staff; learn what to expect before, during and after surgery; and see where it all happens!

To schedule, call 320-864-7724