When Dr. Erik Bostrom first joined Riverwood Healthcare Center, he knew that he wanted to do something unique to help him stand out and attract new patients by making them feel special.
“I thought I had to do something to try and get patients to come see me as the new guy,” he explained.
And, the 33-year-old doctor from Northern Minnesota was given a brilliant idea on how he could touch the lives of his tiniest patients when a nurse suggested that he make baby blankets.
Despite his stitching skills on the human body, the doctor didn’t quite have the same level of expertise to make it happen on fabrics right away.
But he was determined to learn, so he went out and bought a used sewing machine, then enlisted the help of his mother and sister-in-law to teach him.
“They taught me how to use a sewing machine,” he told The Star Tribune. “It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.”
Pretty soon, Dr. Bostrom learned how to sew and embroider! He even has a room in his home devoted to his fascinating new hobby.
With one simple suggestion from a nurse, now gifting new babies with handmade baby blankets have become Dr. Bostrom’s “thing.”
While the tokens started with simple designs, he now takes the time to embroider each and every blanket with the babies name, birth date, height, and weight!
Also, each blanket takes about 3 hours to make, which he gladly denotes out of his precious downtime! That’s an incredible commitment when you consider the fact that doctors are among the most overworked professionals in the world.
As you can imagine, the blankets are a huge hit with patients.
When Lacie Heitalati and her daughter was gifted with a blanket at their two-month check-up appointment, the new mom just couldn’t believe her eyes:
“He came in, and he’s like, ‘Well, I have something.’ And he brings out this beautiful, pink blanket. It’s a beautiful blanket. It’s something she’ll cherish her entire life,” Lacie said.
Indeed, as Dr. Bostrom told Fox 9 News, his patients are “usually super thankful and love it.”
As for Hietalani, the gift was much more than a thoughtful gesture but rather a way to put her more ease in the doctor’s office.
“He will be our doctor from now on,” she said.
Even though he is a family doctor, he delivers at least one or two babies a month since works in a rural area. Rural areas happen to be some of the most medically understaffed. Often demanding doctors expand their specialties.
A native of Mora, Minnesota, Dr. Bostrom specifically chose to practice in such an area and even entered a particular medical training program geared toward the challenging practice.
But, for Dr. Bostrom, delivering babies represents a joyous change of pace:
“Much of my time is spent taking care of old and sick people.” But when a baby is born, “rather than sadness and hardship, people are full of joy and excitement. It’s a really cool part of medicine,” he told the Star Tribune.
After The Uplift featured Bostrom’s touching story on their Facebook page, the video immediately went viral. In just eight weeks, it’s generated over 22 million views!
It’s pretty clear that Dr. Bostrom found his calling in medicine, mainly since he’s devoting some much of his time to having a positive impact on others. We can’t blame millions for wanting to see this thoughtful doc in action.
And when asked about his most cherished possessions, he answered:
“I could not live without my Bible. It’s my go-to book for encouragement, advice, and wisdom. As far as worldly possessions go, I get a lot of use out of my Husqvarna chainsaw and Husqvarna sewing machine.”
Please be sure to share Dr. Bostrom’s incredible story with your friends and family.