Rachel Knight and her six children have made many visits to Akron Children’s for their care, including a few trips to the Emergency Department for stitches.
As an active preschooler, Tristan Rhoades was running through the house when he fell and hit his head on the corner of his toybox. The injury resulted in a visit to Akron Children’s Emergency Department for stitches, where Tristan and his mom Rachel Knight first met Doug Lehner, one of our suture technicians.
The experience made a lasting impression on Rachel, who was amazed that Doug was able to keep her “wild child” calm as he sutured the wound.
“Although Tristan was only 3 at the time, Doug did a great job of distracting him. Tristan sat still for his stitches and didn’t really cry, except for a little at first when they gave him the medicine to numb the area,” Rachel said.
The idea of “Stitch’em Up Doug and the Wild Child” popped into Rachel’s head. One day while Tristan, who is now 9, was receiving laser treatments at Akron Children’s for capillary vascular malformations, Rachel passed the time by writing and illustrating the story of “Stitch’em Up Doug and the Wild Child.”
Tristan’s first visit for stitches prompted his mom to write and illustrate the story of ‘Stitch’em Up Doug and the Wild Child.’
“I have six kids and we see several specialists there for all my children,” she said.
There have been other visits for stitches, not only for Tristan and two of his siblings, but also for a neighbor’s child. Some of those visits have also been with Doug, including Tristan’s second time needing stitches after a skateboard landed on his head.
“All of our experiences at Akron Children’s have been positive,” Rachel said. “When my daughter needed stitches, she was hysterical and the suture tech was able to soothe her and keep her comfortable. We love the suture team.”
Rachel eventually made a copy of the book and delivered it to Doug in the Emergency Department. She’d also like to get it published.
Doug, who has been a suture tech at Akron Children’s for 14 years, said the suture team receives quite a few letters from grateful parents, but the book was a special surprise. It also reflects how he approaches patient care every day.
Doug Lehner has been a suture technician at Akron Children’s for 14 years.
“When a child comes into the ER for stitches, I have two patients – the child and the parent,” he said. “I strive to be empathetic and get a feel for them, while alleviating their anxiety by taking control of the situation. If I can keep the child calm and able to hold still without having to use restraints, so much the better. The goal is to give both the parent and the child a positive experience and take their anxiety to zero.”
Rachel gave a copy of the book to Doug to show her appreciation for the care Tristan received.
