Viper

We don't see many children at UCSD hospital. Occasionally in the emergency department someone will bring their kid in, but usually most parents take their kids to Children's hospital if they can. However, I just saw a 7 year old kid in trauma clinic. All of our patients have a follow up appointment 1 week after discharge. This kid was in a car accident on Easter. His father was driving home from the grandparents when he fell asleep at the wheel. He wasn't drinking. When a patient comes into the trauma bay, they are given a code name. A random word plus a #. For example: Apple, 16. The reason is that often you don't know their real name and you need to identify the patient somehow. This kid and his father were taken into UCSD hospital, he had 2 siblings in the car as well, sister and brother, who were much more injured and were taken to Children's. The kid was given a trauma name: Viper, 56, and he wasn't hurt. He had a tiny laceration on his forearm that we superglued. He was put into a cervical collar and admitted and observed overnight and received CT scans to make sure there were no other injuries. He was a very cute and brave kid and he loved his trauma name. When I saw him in the morning which was the first time I met him, I asked him his name, which he said, but then added "you can call me Viper if you want to." I had heard through the grapevine that his siblings were much worse off, but then after I discharged him in the care of his father (who was also admitted overnight with minimal injuries), I hadn't thought much about him until today. He was brought in by his grandmother, and was doing well. He still loved to be called Viper and said that it is his new nickname. I was glad to hear he was doing well, and asked about the welfare of his brother and sister. The news was terrible. His sister had broken her back and was paralyzed, and may not make it. His brother had multiple injuries and had broken his neck and other bones but it didn't sound like he was paralyzed. I didn't press for details. Since this visit, I havent been able to keep that poor family out of my mind. Viper's sister who will never grow up into the woman she could have been. Viper's father who will never forgive himself, Viper's mother who will always wish she would have been there to keep the dad awake. Treating children is very different than treating adults. The emotional factor is undeniable. While I feel very sad about the man who fell off the cliffs while drinking and broke his neck and is now paralyzed, I feel a real anguish for this family. I wanted to hug Viper and his grandmother. He is so young and doesn't realize yet that his life will be forever changed now after this one incident. The fragility of life was very tangible today, and yet it made me want to be a part of a child's life. In some way that I can't explain even to myself, it made me want to be a mother. I felt like I wanted to protect this child who wasn't even my own; I wanted to make everything OK for him. Maybe that is a true instinct. The desire to protect and care for a child. He doesn't know yet what a loss this will be for him, and his innocence about it all, made me want to weep.