People who love babies can’t help but be jealous of the job landed by one grandfather in the ICU for infants. His title is ‘baby buddy.’ David Deutchman is nicknamed the ICU grandfather and has helped at the hospital for a dozen years. The parents, children, and babies, at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, will forever appreciate the gesture made by David. Fox News reported on the story.
David, as Fox News reports, travels to the hospital twice a week to hold and provide company to babies that are sick or premature. He says some of his friends have a hard time understanding why he would want to risk being peed and puked on by babies on a regular basis.
The elderly man said he was rehabbing at the hospital 12 years ago following an accident he experienced while running. He said he spent some time talking to the mothers of some of the babies and was touched by the plight of many of them. He says he decided to get involved following these conversations.
Following his retirement, David became a regular volunteer at the hospital.
He first concentrated his efforts on the children in the pediatric intensive care unit. He then expanded his efforts to the children who were intensive care patients in the neonatal care unit.
David says the experience has been wonderful. He says it gives him something to do and gives meaning to a time in his life that might otherwise get boring for him. He says he drives to the hospital on each visit with no idea of the children and parents he will meet that day.
David says he alternates days between the two units. On Tuesdays, he spends time with the children in pediatrics and on Thursdays he spends his time in the neonatal unit.
Elizabeth Mittiga is a nurse at the hospital. She thanks David for his devotion to his volunteer efforts and says he is a blessing to both the nursing staff and the babies they care for. She said a human presence,
“…definitely helps just feeling that comfort, that warmth. It definitely helps them to, I think, grow faster and put more weight on, and feeding-wise, can help them digest their feeds better and things like that.” She said in Cosmopolitan.
David has two children of his own both over 50 years of age. He also has two grandchildren. David says he does not see himself walking away from the children at the hospital for quite some time.
You can watch this hero in the video below:
Have you ever met another elderly man willing to make such a sacrifice in his golden years? Show the article and video to everyone you know. David Deutchman should be commended for his efforts.
