A Halifax neurosurgeon has performed a career first, after a young patient asked him to stitch up a beloved teddy bear while the boy recovered from surgery.

Like many of Dr. Daniel McNeelysa国际传媒檚 patients, eight-year-old Jackson McKie sa国际传媒� who hesa国际传媒檚 looked after since he was an infant sa国际传媒� brought a stuffed toy to the operating room with him last Thursday.

McKie, who lives with his family in Summerside, P.E.I., has a cyst on his brain and a chronic condition called hydrocephalus.

McNeely said he couldnsa国际传媒檛 say no when the boy asked him to fix a tear in his fluffy friend before the operation.

sa国际传媒淚 thought if there was something I could do to help make him feel better, it seemed like a simple gesture and I was only too happy to oblige,sa国际传媒� McNeely said Tuesday.

The doctor asked the nurses to prepare a small table with some tools, and he used leftover stitches from McKiesa国际传媒檚 procedure to patch up the bear, Little Baby.

A medical resident at Halifaxsa国际传媒檚 IWK Health Centre snapped a photo of the heartwarming moment.

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sa国际传媒淗esa国际传媒檚 one of the nicest human beings Isa国际传媒檝e ever met,sa国际传媒� Jacksonsa国际传媒檚 father, Rick McKie, said of McNeely on Tuesday.

He said the boy was sa国际传媒渢ickled pinksa国际传媒� when he woke up to see his favourite toy that he sleeps with every night, and hesa国际传媒檚 printing a photo of the bearsa国际传媒檚 surgery to frame in his room.

Little Babysa国际传媒檚 operation was McNeelysa国际传媒檚 first on a toy sa国际传媒� and he decided to share the photos as his first-ever tweet.

McNeely posted the photos to his Twitter feed (at)pdmcneely, writing sa国际传媒淧atient asks if I can also fix teddy bear just before being put off to sleep sa国际传媒� how could I say no?sa国际传媒�

As of Tuesday afternoon, the tweet had been retweeted more than 6,600 times, liked 14,000 times and had garnered more than 210 responses from people around the world, including his former residents, commenting on the kind gesture.

sa国际传媒淚 thought it might make a few people smile, that was the only intention I had,sa国际传媒� said McNeely. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 glad that others are enjoying it.sa国际传媒�

McNeely was happy to reunite the boy with his stuffed animal, and said the small gesture was one example of how health care providers can care for and comfort their patients in non-medical ways.

Rick McKie said Little Baby is always by Jacksonsa国际传媒檚 side, especially when hesa国际传媒檚 in pain, and he has appreciated McNeelysa国际传媒檚 care as a physician during the familysa国际传媒檚 many visits to IWK.

sa国际传媒淲hen we get there wesa国际传媒檙e terrified to death, but every time we talk to Dr. McNeely we feel better,sa国际传媒� said McKie.

The operation was to re-open a shunt required by the boysa国际传媒檚 condition, to drain excess fluid putting pressure on his brain.

The Canadian Press

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