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 As told by Lisa Bulman
I’ve worked at Gundersen Lutheran as a phlebotomist—someone who draws blood—for 18 years. When I first started, a fellow phlebotomist, Nancy (Morley) Krome, taught me a “secret” that has won me a lot of fans among my younger patients and their parents—not easy when you’re sticking needles in their arms. Nancy taught me the power of the homemade bunny bandage.
 I do what I can to ease the fear of any patient who needs a blood draw, but particularly the little ones. I always explain to them what I’m doing. It helps to take away the fear of the unknown. If I can help them through the experience with a simple explanation, encouragement and a gentle touch, I have done my job. Then I top if off with a bunny bandage. The next time, I may be a bit more welcome.
All bunnies are made in front of the kids so they can see it is just for them. Santa Claus brought me fun colored markers one year so now the kids can have multi-colored bunnies or bunnies to match their outfits.
For one shy little girl, Alexia, the bunny bandage has made a big difference. Alexia had a liver transplant when she was just 11 months old and has to have frequent blood tests to monitor her health.
When Alexia was just a baby she didn’t realize, of course, what we were doing was necessary. She quickly learned that the lab was a place she definitely didn’t want to go to. She would scream, cry and fight. Sometimes it would take three people to hold her arm still enough to get the blood we needed. But her reward was always a bunny bandage. Often the tears would stop as soon as she saw me drawing the bunny.
Now as a petite, vibrant 4-year-old, Alexia is still full of energy but when it’s time to draw blood, she is very cooperative…she’ll even show me which arm to use. Sometimes she still gets a little worrisome, but I quickly remind her about the special bandage she’ll get to show off to her preschool friends. That usually does the trick. That’s the power of the bunny bandage.
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