This past Sunday evening, we had planned an evening picnic at the park with our church group. It was the first really nice weekend (in the 70s), so the kids were really excited to get out. It wasn't a surprise when we arrived at the park and it was crowded.
We met up with our church group and the dads headed over to the play area to watch the kiddos play while the moms set up and chatted. We weren't there 10 minutes, before I looked over and saw Daddy swooping under the play structure and grabbing a screaming Jackson, while bracing his head. I knew immediately that meant trouble. He yelled from the play area, "Michelle..let's go!"
Jackson had climbed to the top of the play structure platform and somehow either lost his balance (or was pushed- he's been saying that now) into a "drop-off" in the middle of the platform which had a ladder to go down. He hit his head a couple of times on the metal ladder rungs during his fall, which caused a huge gash.
As Daddy was running out from under the structure, an EMT just happened to be there with his kids and stopped Daddy. He took off his shirt to help stop the bleeding. He checked Jackson out quickly and assured us he was going to be OK, but we needed to get to the hospital. I am so thankful for this man. He didn't realize by telling me directly "he's going to be fine", he allowed me not to go into "freak out mode" which I can easily do in this type of situation. I don't handle crises with my children very well...especially those involving blood.
So..we headed to Children's Mercy Hospital downtown Kansas City...about a 15-20 minute drive from where we were. (I'm pretty sure we made it in record time with a panicked Dad behind the wheel.) Although I was hesitant to spend any more time in the car than was necessary, I am so glad we went to Children's Mercy. They really know their stuff when it comes to kids...and they are well prepared to handle their reactions to meds, surgical procedures, you name it! We were able to get to a room fairly quickly. I'm sure the blood all over his shirt and head was a good indicator he needed to be seen...NOW! :) He ended up needing 7 staples! I knew we would have some stitches, but not staples...and not 7! The doctor let us know she would be bringing in a staff member who specializes in "distracting children during medical procedures". What?! I had never heard of such a person! A few minutes later, a woman walked in with a bag full of toys for Jackson to play with while the doctor was cleaning and prepping Jackson for the staples! She was like a modern-day Mary Poppins! This "toy lady" had both Jackson and Lily captivated for the 15 minutes or so it took to complete the procedure. I am still in awe of her job and the level of patient care this hospital gave. We were there a total of 4 hours for observation (since it was a head injury), and although we were more than ready to come home, our stay could have been much worse.
Jackson was amazing. I don't know what it is with my kids and doctors, but they do so well when they are needing medical attention. I'm so thankful that at least they can hold it together when sometimes I feel like I am the one falling apart! Once we arrived at the hospital, he was done crying. I think he exhausted himself during the 15 minute drive. The only other time I saw tears from him was when the doctor was cleaning his wound with a syringe of water. I can't even type this without squirming. Even though they numbed it, he still had some sensation and was in pain. He just looked at me, with tears rolling down his face, and said "Mama, I hurt." Nothing breaks my heart more than to see my babies hurt. Thankfully, the doctor gave him a shot of Novocaine and he was fine after that.
I would love to make a funny wisecrack about how he was wearing a shirt that said "100% good, 10% of the time" when this happened, but all my heart can say is THANKFUL. I am so thankful that he is OK and that God was orchestrating every detail that evening. Jackson...you sure know how to keep Mommy & Daddy on our toes!
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| Getting acquainted with his room. Lily was such a huge help, as always! |
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| This cracked me up. Of all the wall toys to have, he had an outer space one! He was in heaven! |
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| The "toy distraction lady" reading Jackson a holographic book. |
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| She was also stocked with an iPad, of course! |
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| The nasty proof- 7 staples! |
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| This was this morning- walking Lily to school. The doctor said to "keep it covered with some gauze". I think I may have over-killed it. :) |
