My son Joel

Hi, my name is Lee, Mum to Joel who is 11 years old.

Joel was born 10 weeks premature and was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 2 weeks of age. Here he is pictured with just 1 month’s worth of his medication.

Joel is also Mildly Intellectually Disabled, and has Sensory Issues and has developed a Needle and Procedure Phobia.

For the first few years of Joel’s life, a lot of his procedures, like taking blood etc were done whilst he was under anaesthetic awaiting a Bronchoscopy.

In WA, Once a CF child turns 7 they don’t have yearly Bronchoscopy and BAL.

Since Joel was 7 his fear of procedures has escalated to one serious phobia.

As soon as a nurse goes to touch Joel he gets very nervous because he thinks everyone is going to stick him with a needle.  He gets upset when dressings need to be changed or remove, cos they hurt too.

We have spent up to hours in a treatment room, I have seen people attempt up to 10 times to pop a cannula in Joel’s hands.  My Husband Craig, and I have taken it in turns talking to him, consoling him, maintaining eye contact, you name it we’ve tried it.  Then one day I stumbled across TLC for kids Tracky Dack Day on Facebook.  We got on board promoting Tracky Dack Day and amidst all the googling I had a good look at their website.

I noticed the TLC Distraction Boxes and recognised them from PMH.  I’d seen them in waiting rooms, procedure rooms, anaesthesia, and even in outpatients.  So I took the liberty to ask what was in one.

Joel was about to have a cannula put in, and was already crying and sweating.  I opened the box to find a view finder which to our delight had a Superhero card in it.  He flicked through the pics and saw Batman, Spiderman, Superman, all his favourites,  and before he knew it the cannula was in.

He said “I didn’t even feel a thing”

We had tried giving him my iPhone and the iPad before, but he could still see what was going on out of the corner of his eye.  The viewfinder had taken away his peripheral vision so he couldn’t see what they were doing to him.

So no more doping my boy up with Midazolam, no more piercing screams, and unnecessary upsets!.

I seriously hope every Hospital in Australia gets the Distraction Boxes in every room that warrants one.    It would make treatments, surgeries, and procedures that bit more bearable for our kids.  Why put them through all the torment if a simple box of toys with that one toy that distracts them from their pain is readily available?