ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Nearly nine years ago, after many doctor visits with no clear answer, Sherri Maher comforted her five-month-old son, Jayden, in his crib. He was dealing with pain that made things difficult for him to fall asleep.
When a cousin gave Maher a bagful of clothing, both she and her son found relief.
“Jayden has been through a lot. My cousin gave me a bag of clothes and in there was a really nice pair of silk pyjamas. I put them on right away, of course, then that night I was rubbing his back to get him to go to sleep,” Maher said. “He reached up and took my sleeve and started to rub the little knots of stitching on the wrist between his fingers until he fell asleep. I left the shirt there for him and he cuddled right into it.”
Jayden is now nine years old.
“At this point it’s not just a blanket." — Sherri Maher
The St. John's family has traded relief for hopefulness as they search for her son’s lost pyjama sleeve, a.k.a. "blankie."
Maher has turned to social media for help tracking down the treasured item. When Maher and her family were returning home from vacation in Florida on June 23, the pyjama-top sleeve was lost at the Halifax airport, somewhere between gates 1 through 9, Maher says.
“He is pretty upset. It’s the only part of it left. He’s had it so long that we were losing pieces,” she said.
Jayden’s blankie has been with him for almost all of his life. The wear and tear has transformed the once pyjama top into a security sleeve.
“At this point it’s not just a blanket. For four and a half years, Jayden couldn’t sleep and the blanket was there through it all,” Maher said. “It’s a comfort thing for him.”
Security blankets, be it actually a blanket, a sleeve or some other habit or ritual, are common among people, young and old, who deal with anxiety. The comments on Maher’s post show sympathy for her son’s situation.
“We all need that little security,” Kathy Parmenter commented on Maher’s Facebook post.
Numerous parents offered their condolences and shared their stories and tips.
I feel for you. My little one lost her puppy years ago during a busy trip home for Christmas. We ordered a new one but she was on to us once we produced the very new and unsmushed looking duplicate. Hope something works out for your little guy!
— Paula E. (@EnnisPaula) June 24, 2019
@EnnisPaula tweeted, "I feel for you. My little one lost her puppy years ago during a busy trip home for Christmas. We ordered a new one, but she was on to us once we produced the very new and unsmushed looking duplicate. Hope something works out for your little guy!"
@douge77 tweeted, "We got the little fella 5 of the same blankets just for this reason. Hope you find it."
WestJet was asked about the progress of locating the blanket and replied, "We always try our best to help our guests find items they have lost. … Any item left in a public airport area, such as a boarding lounge, etc., would be turned over to the local airport authority if found by a WestJet agent."
Maher and Jayden are continuing to watch Twitter in hopes of hearing from someone who found the sleeve.
“We haven’t given up hope and we really hope it finds its way home,” Maher said. “I’m in awe of the attention it’s got."
She has tried to find a substitute for the sleeve, with no luck.
“Last night, I gave him a little silk cape and it wasn’t the same for him. It didn’t have the same knots to rub between his fingers,” Maher said. “Jayden hopes that someone is going to find it, though.
“He said when I showed him the tweet that he’s happy people are good and really care."
Twitter: @JasmineBurtNL
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