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Langford boy wakes up from surgery to find stuffed puppy wearing the same cast

Hospital staff outfitted ‘Eddy’ the puppy to match the young patient
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Max Hughes, 8, woke up from surgery at Victoria General Hospital to find that his stuffed friend, Eddy, had also undergone a ‘procedure’ on the same leg. (Courtesy of Sarah Hughes)

A Langford boy awoke from surgery at a Victoria hospital this week to find that his stuffed puppy dog had undergone the same procedure.

Max Hughes isn’t fazed by surgeries anymore, says his mom Sarah. The eight-year-old has cerebral palsy and has had various procedures over the years, including some on his brain. But one constant is a large stuffed puppy, Eddy – sometimes known simply as Puppy – who accompanies him into the operating room.

“It’s a little worse for wear,” Sarah said. “It’s been washed so many times and he sleeps with it every night.”

But on Aug. 8, when Max went in for a day surgery to lengthen his Achilles tendon and improve his mobility, staff at Victoria General took the liberty of giving Eddy the same hot pink cast on the same leg as Max.

“When they brought him back into his room he was still a little groggy,” Sarah said. “But he was awake enough that he thought it was hilarious. He couldn’t wait for everyone to sign his cast and his dog’s cast.”

READ ALSO: NICU reunion a precious reminder for families, hospital staff


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