Tyler, Age 3
“Dr.STITCH is one of those services you hope you never need but when you do, they’re lifesavers. I was enjoying a Saturday morning at the splash park when my three-year-old son, my only child, slipped and sliced his chin open. The lifeguards said he was fine, but I just couldn’t get past how deep it looked. Thankfully, my sister, who is a PA and a mom herself, was there and looked at it. She said, “Call Doctor Stitch”— I’m like, “who?!” Dr.STITCH is an on-call service through NY Plastic Surgical Group that provides actual plastic surgeons for traumatic injuries such as the one my son had. The woman on the phone Jenny was the sweetest person and kept me calm in an extremely stressful situation that I as the mama HAD to stay calm in for my little guy. Within seconds she sent me a text seeking photos of the injury that she forwarded to the on-call physician. It literally took 2-3 minutes, and she confirmed the doctor said he likely needed stitches and arranged for us to meet at the closest emergency room. She called ahead to the ER and simply told us to get there ASAP. I didn’t have to think about anything except comforting my son and preparing him for what was to come (me, him and my husband even exchanged “stitches stories” on the way to the hospital lol even my father (another PA!) showed up at the ER as well and my son says, “Papa what is your stitches story?!”. I believe the reason my son was able to relax is because I was relaxed and that was fully due to the efforts of the Dr Stitch team! What was even more amazing and heartwarming was that Jenny took the time to call me on our way to the ER to address my question in the text conversation we had about how he would sit still for stitches. She gave me the rundown of what to expect, shared her experience with her own son when this happened, and told me if I needed anything she was there. We got to the ER and everything felt seamless. Dr. Michael Christy came in and his calm demeanor was contagious. He warmly explained how everything would work and introduced himself to my son. He was so nice and just had a humble and kind air about him (not rushed or conceited as some doctors can be). He had a bedside manner like no other and that’s necessary in a situation like this. His work was quick and precise. He remained calm as we all worked to soothe my son and he was absolutely incredible. I cannot say enough good things about this service and now I feel assured knowing that my son’s face was handled by a person who has the knowledge and knows how to ensure that the work is done right, clean, and as a bonus that his face stays beautiful.”