Meet Dr. Robert Parry, not just a surgeon but a genuine person. He leads pediatric surgery at Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio. What sets him apart is how he comforts his young patients. Once the surgery is done, Dr. Parry picks up his pens and skillfully conceals their post-surgery scars with delightful cartoon drawings.
When Akron Children’s Hospital posted pictures of Dr. Parry’s artwork, they quickly became an internet sensation.
A mother, whose daughter was once treated by Parry, mentioned that his drawing truly changed the whole hospital journey. “There is an incredible amount of stress any time a child is ill,” Christina Potts Whipkey told CNN. “When there is a surgical schedule, parents work hard to hide their fear of the procedure, the financial stress of the situation, and their terror of something going wrong.
“The doctor told Kennedy and her siblings she would have a lovely butterfly after she was done. When Kennedy came out, everyone was excited to see what the doctor meant. Kennedy was so proud of the pretty bandage and not concerned about any scars.”
Parry has been employed at the hospital since 2011 and has completed more than 10,000 surgeries, as stated in a hospital profile from 2017.
“It’s been a pretty special thing for everyone. It’s fun for me to do, the parents and the children really enjoy it and even the whole medical staff likes to get in on it,” the doctor told CNN. “Whenever one of my kids arrive in the recovery room, the nurses all like to take a look to see what dressing the child got. I think it just makes everyone, me included, feel good.”