When a worried mom entered the hospital room of her young son, she was pleasantly surprised to see a nurse go above and beyond to make her son feel at ease. Layla Thompson had been extremely concerned about her 5-year-old son Slade Thompson, who was having quite a rough year.
In 2019 he had to be admitted to the UPMC Susquehanna hospital in Williamsport, Pennsylvania for his second surgery of the year, according to Little Things. This time, the young boy was getting his tonsils removed. As he was wheeled into surgery, Layla nervously waited outside and prayed for his safety.
Being his mother, she was understandably anxious for his well-being and simply wanted her child to feel safe and cared for. Layla couldn’t wait to get him out of the hospital and back home so Slade could be comfortable in his own bed. So as soon as he woke up following surgery, Layla was restless to meet him. But she had to wait a bit longer to be able to see her son.
Right after the procedure, a team of nurses went into his room to check his vitals before allowing his mother to enter. Having undergone a huge ordeal, Slade naturally wanted to see his mother and when he asked for her, one of the nurses told him that it wasn’t quite time for Layla to be there with him. At this point, the boy asked Annie Hager RN for a favor and she happily complied.
When Slade’s mother finally entered his room, she saw something that moved her to tears. She was so touched by the scene that Layla captured the moment on her phone which was later shared on Facebook by UPMC to inspire others. “When Slade Thompson of Renovo woke up from tonsil surgery, all he wanted was to be snuggled and cared for. Not thinking twice, Annie Hager, RN, climbed right into the bed and snuggled the little boy,” read the caption of the post.
“As a nurse, providing care is one thing, but making sure our patients are calm and comfortable matters just as much. It’s nurses like Annie – who show true compassion – that keep our patients happy. During Nurses Week, we thank our nurses for taking time to make personal connections with patients,” it continued.
Turns out Slade was extremely taken by nurse Annie’s gesture as well and so he brought her a bunch of flowers while visiting the hospital for a follow-up consultation. “Annie’s connection with Slade was so real that he brought her flowers at his follow-up appointment,” concluded the post. Kindness doesn’t cost much but it does leave a huge impact on people. So maybe, we should take inspiration from nurse Annie and spread kindness.