Saleh before surgery, happy to be in his father’s arms.
Saleh, the morning after his open heart surgery: sitting up straight in bed, demanding water. Yelling, actually.
At the end of his bed: a stash of treasures his parents brought, including packs of stickers, two plastic horns, a kaleidoscope, and a yoyo.
Already played with and discarded: yellow sunglasses, a small rubber duck, a superhero ring, a puzzle, a stuffed Mickey Mouse, a bottle of bubbles, and a little stuffed baseball.
Determined to open: a tube of toothpaste to brush his teeth. Demands for water increase.
Number of times he tried to climb out of bed: 3
Number of times he tried to pull out his chest tube: 3
After much coaxing and head rubs: a nap.
It’s been just hours since Saleh’s open heart surgery, and he’s doing just fine!