“Auntie, Where is my teddy bear?”

Word has spread that there is a new physio in town. Within my first few days of arrival, the owners of the local coffee shop I had begun to frequent for a warm drink and internet access asked if I wouldn’t mind looking at their 2 ½ year old son’s shoulder. They believed his shoulder was giving him pain when his hand was held tightly to protect him from road traffic while walking through the streets. Jigme was sleeping at the time, so the next day when I returned with a little teddy bear, Jigme became my first patient in Bhutan. After evaluating his shoulder using the teddy bear as incentive for him to put his arms in certain positions, I gave his mom suggestions for therapeutic activities to perform with him to reduce his pain. I then handed Jigme the teddy bear to keep, but his mom insisted I take it back, and upon distracting him placed the bear back into my hands. The following day as I was climbing up the stairs to the café, Jigme met me at the top of the stairwell and wouldn’t leave my side … “Auntie, Where is my teddy bear?” Jigme questioned repeatedly while sitting at the table with me. My excuse that he was at home napping didn’t seem to work! For our 1week PT follow up appointment over a latte and internet connectivity, I'll bring the teddy bear back and this time insist Jigme keep it.