A child's surgery can be a stressful experience for the entire family. Advocate Hope Children's Hospital's "Wee Care" preoperative tours help reduce children's understandable anxiety and fear by showing them exactly what to expect on the day of the surgery. The preoperative tours are available for children ages four to 12 and their parents.

The "Wee Care" tour begins when a staff nurse meets your family in the waiting area of the hospital's Day Surgery Center. A guide will explain each step of preparation that will occur on the day of surgery. Parents and children can familiarize themselves with the hospital environment, the equipment that will be used, and some basic routines that are followed.

Children should feel more comfortable about what they will encounter on the day of their surgery after meeting the staff involved with their care, familiarizing themselves with strange surroundings, and asking lots of questions.

Each child who attends our pre-surgery orientation and tour will receive a personalized "Certificate of Completion" and Willie, the Wee Care Bear, who can return to the hospital with your child and accompany him or her through surgery.

For more information, or to register, call 708.684.3132.