"You are all truly amazing people"

So I wanted to start out by saying I myself am autistic, and suffer with PTSD and anxiety.

My son is 9, severely autistic, has learning disabilities, non verbal and mentally only 2. He was due in for emergency dental surgery after a long wait then suffering for months with horrific toothache. Part of my son's problems are he can't co-operate with any demands, he won't let anyone touch or be near him and he will not under any circumstances let anyone near his mouth. 

On the lead up to surgery, I was told he was most probably going to need his front two teeth removed, several others and whatever other dental work they could do whilst he was under. This sent my into a full blown panic and his front teeth were his adult ones, and he can't cope with any sort of change.

After phoning Dr Gillian the dentist at the Sick Kids hospital in Glasgow who was doing his surgery, and having a full blown mental breakdown on the phone to her (I'm talking about can't breath type of cry) and explain about my son and his problems and how it wasn't going to go how any one is expecting. She immediately got a team together and the anesthetist Dr Hivey was honestly the most caring, selfless, most understanding person I've ever met. She had me come in without my son, and literally held my hand whilst I ugly cried explain how much support my son would need, and when I say she immediately started putting all sort of steps and measures into place to make it so much easier, that's an understatement to say the least.

She never once made me feel like an idiot for feeling how I did, she asked so many questions to make sure she got it as perfect as possible. Her bedside manner was out of this world, she really opened her heart to me just so I felt heard and validated. She is so down to earth and approachable, nothing was too much at all. She even took me a full walk of the journey to make sure I could understand what would happen.

Between her and Dr Jones, they came up with 4 different plans of action. We made sure he was first one the surgery list, they had us come right up to the door in the car so we didn't need to wait in a room, Dr Jones came out to the car alone and prepared so he could give my son the injection of ketamine in the car to cause less stress, straight onto a trolley and into theatre!

They called me continuously on the days leading up to and the day of surgery to make sure everything was okay, even the next day to check in on him. Dr jones is a very funny, clever and caring dr. He really did do an amazing job and he writes the pathways for surgery for kids like my son. Even when things didn't quite go to plan (my son's quick and extremely strong) and he snatched the needle out his hand, Dr jones didn't bat an eye and carried on to make sure is was done as quickly as possible then backed off immediately so my son had the least amount of stress possible.

The staff on the ward were just as amazing! They were in his wee side room always asking if we needed anything or to ask questions about his condition, which I loved because it made me feel like they really wanted to learn new ways to help others just like us.

When the two doctors (yes dentists are Dr's!) came into the room after his 2 hour surgery and told me that my son still had his front teeth I could have winched them, and yes I ugly cried then too! I was taken into the room whilst my son was still sedated so I could be there for him waking up as he's nonverbal and that was just amazing.

Another massive thank you and shout out to Emma the medical secretary who gave my son a haircut under general!!!! It's the best haircut he's ever had in his life.

I honestly can't thank each individual member on our team enough, they made that extremely traumatic experience so so much easier. Nothing was too big an ask (yes even the haircut), nothing was a strange question, no judgement and they treated us with so much respect, love and care. 

So to the whole team thank you from the bottom of my heart, you are all truly amazing people