Saleh, before his open-heart surgery: happy to be in his father’s arms.
Saleh, the morning after surgery: sitting up straight in bed, demanding water. Yelling, actually.
At the end of his bed: a stash of treasures his parents brought, including packs of stickers, two plastic horns, a kaleidoscope and a yoyo.
Already played with and discarded: yellow sunglasses, a small rubber duck, a superhero ring, a puzzle, a stuffed Mickey Mouse, a bottle of bubbles, and a little stuffed baseball.
Determined to open: a tube of toothpaste to brush his teeth. Demands for water increase.
Attempts to climb out of bed: Three.
Attempts to pull out his chest tube: Also three.
Finally, after much coaxing and several head rubs: a nap.
Saleh is a handful! Hours after his open heart surgery, nothing could make his parents (or us) happier.
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