The Healing Powers Of Major Harry Wonderpants
Last Monday, on a warm spring evening, my 5-year son Graham fell backwards down four front porch steps and cracked his head on the cement. He blacked out momentarily before crying out for help. We rushed him to the emergency room at Danbury Hospital where after only an hour of observation he was sent home. The next morning he started vomiting and we rushed him back to the emergency room - this time at Norwalk Hospital - where a CAT scan revealed that he had a 2 millimeter fracture in his skull as well as some minor bleeding on his brain. He was transferred by ambulance to Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York.
Thankfully 5-year olds are a resilient bunch. Under the watchful eye of pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Avinash Mohan, and a team of nurses, Graham rested and we waited. Another CAT scan and MRI revealed that the fracture and bleeding had stabilized and no surgery would be necessary - welcome news for two nerve-frazzled parents.
On his second day at the hospital, Graham felt well enough to get out of bed. Because it was a children's hospital, there was a variety of kids activities scheduled throughout the day and Graham decided he would like to attend an 11 a.m magic show by resident hospital magician Major Harry Wonderpants.
Graham wheeled his I.V. down to the play room and took his seat among a room full of eager young patients in various states of injury. With anticipation at a fever pitch, Major Harry Wonderpants swept into the room - his bright colored costume and high energy immediately bringing smiles to the children's faces. For the next 30 minutes, he proceeded to amaze and astound the young audience with a variety of magic (I STILL for the life of me can't figure how he made that darn coloring book fill in and go blank again and again!)
I will never forget Graham's first post-accident laughter which came exactly at the moment that Major Harry, while attempting to turn a blue handkerchief into a giant white parachute, accidentally turned it into a giant pair of white underpants! For Graham there is nothing funnier than underpants and his grin went instantly ear to ear.
It was at that moment that I grasped the true importance of what a magician like Major Harry Wonderpants does when he comes to a hospital to entertain kids. The laughter he brought to Graham was every bit as healing as what was given by the doctors and nurses. For that, I will be eternally grateful.
Thankfully 5-year olds are a resilient bunch. Under the watchful eye of pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Avinash Mohan, and a team of nurses, Graham rested and we waited. Another CAT scan and MRI revealed that the fracture and bleeding had stabilized and no surgery would be necessary - welcome news for two nerve-frazzled parents.
On his second day at the hospital, Graham felt well enough to get out of bed. Because it was a children's hospital, there was a variety of kids activities scheduled throughout the day and Graham decided he would like to attend an 11 a.m magic show by resident hospital magician Major Harry Wonderpants.
Graham wheeled his I.V. down to the play room and took his seat among a room full of eager young patients in various states of injury. With anticipation at a fever pitch, Major Harry Wonderpants swept into the room - his bright colored costume and high energy immediately bringing smiles to the children's faces. For the next 30 minutes, he proceeded to amaze and astound the young audience with a variety of magic (I STILL for the life of me can't figure how he made that darn coloring book fill in and go blank again and again!)
I will never forget Graham's first post-accident laughter which came exactly at the moment that Major Harry, while attempting to turn a blue handkerchief into a giant white parachute, accidentally turned it into a giant pair of white underpants! For Graham there is nothing funnier than underpants and his grin went instantly ear to ear.
It was at that moment that I grasped the true importance of what a magician like Major Harry Wonderpants does when he comes to a hospital to entertain kids. The laughter he brought to Graham was every bit as healing as what was given by the doctors and nurses. For that, I will be eternally grateful.
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