Three-year-old Learns to Cope withTesting and Treatments

Zane was a healthy three-year-old until he started displaying symptoms that caused his parents to take him to his local hospital. The hospital could not provide the necessary services, so Zane was flown to Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. During his approximate 4 hour stay in the Emergency Room, Zane was poked 13 times in order to insert an IV, plus a COVID nose swabbing, and multiple exams. During this time, Zane cried, tried to push staff away, and shouted “go away.” This behavior continued during his first day of admission. He could be heard screaming from down the hallway. He was poked for testing every hour his first day, and then every two hours.It was a lot to handle, yet he bravely learned to cope with everything that came his way.

On his second day in the hospital, Zane began receiving injections 5 times a day. The sensation caused by the injection can be uncomfortable, especially for a child experiencing this for the first time. He adjusted by watching his tablet and learned to count down and hold still in order to be successful with treatments.

“For a three-year-old to go from resisting, screaming and crying, to extending his arm and watching a show on his Kindle is quite heroic and remarkable,” said his Child Life Specialist Carla Lusch at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.“Zane was truly a hero in adjusting from being a healthy child, to resisting pokes, and then coping with medical treatments which will continue throughout his life.”She nominated Zane for his bravery and exceptional coping.Kids Wish Network is happy to acknowledge him as a Hero.