09/03/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18b9DwmFMC/
For Dr. Robert Parry, surgery doesn't always end when the operation is finished.
For years, the Ohio pediatric surgeon has stayed in the operating room long enough to turn ordinary surgical dressings into something far more personal.
He draws.
Batman. Snoopy. Sports mascots. Animals. Cars. Whatever interests the child waiting to wake up.
The tradition began during Parry's training in Bethesda, where he watched another pediatric surgeon cut shark shapes into children's dressings. Parry noticed how much families enjoyed the small gesture and eventually started making his own designs.
Over time, the requests became increasingly personal.
One 8-year-old patient named Nicholas asked for a Lamborghini. When he woke from surgery, his family said one of the first things he wanted to see was the custom Lamborghini dressing Parry had made for him.
And this wasn't something Parry did a few dozen times.
By 2020, he estimated that he had decorated surgical dressings for about 10,000 young patients over his career.
Parry has explained that he often does the artwork while the anesthesiology team is helping the patient wake up and he is still staying nearby to make sure everything is okay.
For him, the drawings are fun.
For a child waking up after surgery, they can make an intimidating bandage feel a little less frightening.
Akron Children's once summed up the idea beautifully: Parry wants to make sure a scar isn't the only lasting memory a child takes home from surgery.
Sources: Akron Children's Hospital; Inside Edition; Spectrum News; Washington Post.
What small act of kindness from a doctor or nurse has stayed with you or your family long after the medical care was over?
