5-year-old Slade Thompson just had two surgeries recently.
His mother, Layla Thompson, told Liftable that they have been to numerous doctors to determine why the boy walked on his toes.
After numerous tests and being diagnosed with toe walking, Slade underwent surgery at the beginning of the year. Doctors tried to treat his condition and he had to use a wheelchair for two months.
“He’s been through a lot this last year,” Thompson expressed. “We had been in the children’s hospital, so we were kind of nervous just going to a hospital to have it done.”
Thompson told Liftable that the second surgery was to cauterize Slade’s “tonsils, adenoids and both sides of his nose.”
When the little boy came out of his anesthesia, he was alone and scared. His nurse, Annie Hager, told WNEP-TV: “Kid’s don’t usually come out of anesthesia very happy.”
However, Thompson had to wait as the nurses checked Slade’s vitals. That’s when Hager decided to step in.
“When I told him mom couldn’t be there, he asked if I would snuggle him and I said, ‘sure will,’” Hager said.
Slade’s mother took a photo of the heartwarming moment and shared it online. She didn’t expect that the picture would go viral.
UPMC wrote on Facebook: “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.”
Thompson told WNEP-TV: “You want someone to treat your child the way you would treat them.” She and Slade went back to the hospital with a gift and special hug for the wonderful nurse.
“This little guy touched my heart, and his mama’s beautiful kind words and actions have brought tears to my eyes twice now!” Hager wrote on Instagram. “This right here is why I LOVE my job.”
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