Endearing Connor, Joyous Visit

Connor had recently turned twelve before arriving for his three-day June stay at the Ronald McDonald House. There was a stash of donated toys to share with children requiring hospital visits, and Connor was willing to look through the collection to choose one. The first thing on his mind was making a pillow from a kit his mom Tina had purchased to complete while they were away from home for his doctor’s appointments. He worked in the dining area at the house and even borrowed the staff desk’s scissors. As Connor traveled across the state to receive injections that will strengthen his bones from their weakening from Osteogenesis imperfect, he definitely made the most of his stay.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic disorder that like juvenile osteoporosis is characterized by bones that break easily, often from little or no apparent cause. OI is caused by a problem with the quantity or quality of bone collagen resulting from a genetic defect. Because most children with OI never attain normal bone mass, they usually have secondary osteoporosis as well. There are several distinct forms of OI, representing extreme variations in severity. For example, a person with OI may have as few as 10 or as many as several hundred fractures in a lifetime. Although the number of people affected with OI in the United States is unknown, the best estimate suggests a minimum of 20,000 and as many as 50,000 (The National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases).

Connor was quick to give positive reviews about playing with the “Bop It” toy he selected. The idea of Bop It is to listen to the voice inside the toy. The little is voice is like Simon when playing “Simon Says.” If you don't listen to him and do something wrong, he lets out a scream like he just crashed into a brick wall. The voice instructs to either bop it, pull it or twist it.

If told to pull it, pull the one end of the toy. When told to twist it, there is a yellow top looking thing at the other end needs to be twisted, and when it says “Bop it,” you tap the big drum looking thing in the middle. There’s a musical beat going on at the same time and if you keep getting commands correct, the beat will start to go faster and so will the commands. When you make a wrong move, you’ll hear the voice shout out a scream saying "OWWWWWW."

Leave it to a twelve-year-old boy to pick out the best toy from the box – and if you’re looking for Connor, odds are he’s busy!