Image source: http://www.magicalmaths.org
The little boy had been sitting in the bed for weeks and weeks now. He was unable to talk, unable to communicate in any way or shape. The nurses didn't know how to get through to him.
One of the nurses at the paediatric ward had been talking to the OT, she left a small whiteboard next to him.
Within a few minutes she came back and found a picture. It was of a cake.
"Look - something actually came out of him Irene!!"
She went down to the shop and bought him a nice piece of chocolate cake.
Next, later that day, he drew a picture of a coke bottle. Another one of the nurses on the PM shift got hold of a small bottle of coke for him.
He still didn't speak. He was 6 years old and they weren't sure how well he could write.
He had been in a car accident where both his parents were killed and he was the only survivor in the back seat. He had been intubated for a long time and they weren't sure of the extent of actual brain injury and how much of it was psychological. Still, he was starting to reach out with a means of communication and they - not just the nurses but all of the staff - embraced it with open arms.
When Irene was looking after him one morning, he gave her a hug. Then he drew her a happy face on the whiteboard.
That was when she knew - if there were no other family around to take over his care, well she was taking him home!!
