Introduction
Some moments before surgery can leave an entire family holding their breath—but sometimes, the smallest things can give a child the strength to keep going.
When Indiana arrived at the hospital for her pre-surgery testing, she became emotional after learning that she would need to have blood drawn. Just the thought of a needle was enough to make Indy afraid.
Rebecca stayed by her side, along with Lia, a child life specialist who helped Indiana understand what was going to happen. Instead of simply telling her not to be scared, Lia gently walked her through each step using adorable puppy pictures.
Indiana was shown what the operating room would look like. She was given her own oxygen mask to decorate with stickers and was even allowed to choose the scent for her anesthesia.
Without hesitation, Indy chose bubblegum. 🥹
Little by little, her fear began to fade.
Then came the moment everyone had been worried about.
While Rebecca and Lia kept Indiana completely focused on a book, a nurse quietly began drawing blood from her other arm.
Five vials of blood.
And incredibly, Indiana was so absorbed in the book that she didn’t even realize the needle was there. ❤️
It may have seemed like a small moment to an adult, but for Indiana and her family, it was a huge victory.
Afterward, Indy walked out of the hospital with a new friend—a teddy bear named “Hearty,” complete with stitches on its chest, just like the ones Indiana would soon have after surgery.
Before facing the difficult journey ahead, the family chose to make that day as normal and joyful as possible: reading books, playing games, visiting the playground, laughing together, and simply enjoying precious time as a family.
Because courage doesn’t mean you’re never afraid.
Courage means moving forward even when you’re still scared. 🙏❤️
And Indiana showed everyone what that kind of courage looks like.
👇 If you’d like to see Indiana’s full emotional pre-surgery journey, watch the video and witness the beautiful moments that helped turn her fear into courage.