Our 7 yo grandson Mac was so proud of his Adam’s-apple . . . but wait! Little boys don’t HAVE Adam’s-apples! Come to find out he had a cyst sitting on his Thyroid and it had to come out – the old fashioned way.

So an appointment was made with a surgeon, who made an appointment for day surgery. Parents notified Grandparents, who notified every prayer chain within a 50 mile area. That’s what Grandparents do!

This particular grandchild loves his soft stuffed “friends”, so I knew a special “surgery friend” was in order. Since Mac was having a neck procedure, I looked for an animal with something of a neck, like a duck or a swan. That proved easier said than done. Eventually, I found a bear with a somewhat elongated neck and he was soft and fluffy. A very good find! The tag on his ear said, “Hi, my name is Neil.”

Neil and Mac became fast friends emmediately. As Gramps and I drove up to the Day Surgery Unit, we saw Neil and Mac waving to us through the window.

Mac and Neil in Pre-op, chilling after a dose of “silly juice”.

Mac found a white string on Neil’s neck which he decided was Neil’s cyst. Neil was going to need surgery also and would Granny please do it? (After all, I do know how to sew!)

Mac also required that I use “disappearing stitches” on Neil to match the dissolving sutures he would have after surgery. Such a good job! I can’t see the stitches, can you?

Mac came through fine, as did Neil, seen here in his matching bandage. Mac didn’t even peek under Neil’s dressing until his own came off several days later.

The two spent more than a week side by side playing games, watching TV and resting up. Friends keep each other company when one or the other isn’t feeling well. And these two are definitely friends.

Mac is back in school now, feeling fine, all patched up and good as ever. Neil is bright-eyed and fluffy. When asked what he did over Christmas vacation, Mac says, “The doctor cut my throat! My friend Neil got his throat cut too!”