The Prince and Teen Titans Go to Kennedy Krieger

For my first contribution to my son Noah’s adventures, this felt like the perfect topic. If you are a parent of a child with special needs, chances are you have walked through the doors of Kennedy Krieger at some point.

After a seizure last year, Noah’s mother and I began the long journey of trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Tests were inconclusive. The next step was an EEG through Kennedy Krieger’s neurology department.

Simple enough in theory. Less simple when the patient is Noah.

Anyone who has a child with Down syndrome or autism knows that cooperation is not always freely given, especially when you start placing electrodes on their head. Many children politely decline by yanking off the “stickers.” It was decided that Noah would need mild sedation.

The journey began at 5:30 in the morning. I gently woke the young prince. To his credit, there was very little drama. He sleepily made his way to the car as rain fell around us. The drive was about fifty five minutes. Noah slept most of the way, which was fortunate because no food or drink before the test is not exactly a strong start to anyone’s day, let alone his.

We arrived at 7:15 and were escorted into the EEG room. The sedative was administered up both nostrils. Noah immediately yelled, “Yucky,” which was an accurate review. Apparently it does not taste like candy.

This is the moment when, as a parent, you silently hold your breath. You hope it works. You hope the visit is smooth. You hope you do not need Plan B, C, or D.

At first, all seemed well. Noah fell asleep. At one point he even called out his stepfather’s name in his sleep. I will let his mother and stepfather decide whether that was a compliment or a complaint.

As the EEG specialist began attaching electrodes and the nurse attempted to secure a pulse oxygen monitor to his very uncooperative big toe, the doctor entered the room. That was apparently Noah’s cue. He woke up and immediately resisted all attempts.

In my head I thought, Of course. Why would this be easy?

After about fifteen minutes, I managed to get him settled again. He fell asleep. Ten minutes later, another small noise startled him and we were back to square one. At that point I was fairly certain this was not ending well. My first thought was, His mother is not going to be happy about this.

But Kennedy Krieger staff have seen it all. The EEG specialist calmly said, “Let us try something different. Give him food. Put on a show. Maybe he will ignore me.”

In my head I thought, Absolutely not. This will never work.

Noah was placed in a chair with a small table. A nurse brought in three bags of chips and water. Then came the real reinforcement. An iPad. Prince Noah immediately requested Teen Titans Go.

And just like that, we had cooperation.

For nearly two hours, Noah sat like royalty, devouring chips, watching Teen Titans Go, and eventually requesting a bagel, which he consumed like a man who had been stranded at sea for weeks. Meanwhile, electrodes were successfully attached with minimal protest.

The end result? Success. The staff was happy. Dad was happy. Prince Noah was very happy. And yes, you can be certain his mother was happy.

It just goes to show that with a little creativity, teamwork, snacks, and the full support of the Teen Titans, almost anything is possible.