‘I want to be a surgeon’: Crochet prodigy tests his suture skills at UW Hospital

Dannika Lewis by Dannika Lewis

Jonah Larson has one of the firmest handshake of any 11-year-old you’ll ever meet. He might rival most adults in that regard.

Along with his courteous and inquisitive nature, Jonah is determined. He knows what he wants, and he’s not afraid to go for it.

“When I grow up, I want to be a surgeon,” Jonah said.

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Thank you @uwsurgery for hosting my family. I want to utilize my hand dexterity to one day be a surgeon (in addition to being a designer).Today, I was a surgeon performing simulated microsurgery. Next, I teach the surgeons how to crochet! Posted @withrepost — @uwsurgery We are having a great day hosting crocheting superstar Jonah Larson to help him explore all things surgery! In news interviews about his crochet talents, Jonah said he wanted to be a surgeon when he grows up, so we helped get him #hookedonsurgery today. Thanks for learning about surgery with us @jonahhands #addictedtocrochet #crocheters #crochet #crochetersofinstagram #surgeon #lovecrochet #crochetlove #makersgonnamake

A post shared by Jonah’s Hands (@jonahhands) on May 3, 2019 at 11:27am PDT

That is not up for negotiation, Jonah says. If his name sounds familiar, you may know him for being a crochet prodigy. The Ethiopian adoptee lives with his family in La Crosse and made national news for his quick fingers and even quicker wit. Both of those traits earned him an invitation to UW Hospital Friday to see what it will take to actually become a surgeon in the future.

“My crochet helps me with my hand dexterity. That’s another reason I want to be a surgeon,” Jonah said.

Nicole Jennings is the administrator of the Department of Surgery at UW Hospital. She coordinated the visit for Jonah, his parents, and his siblings.

“As he’s been saying, his priority is to be a surgeon someday,” Jennings said, “so what better way than to try it out with us?”

The Larsons spent the entire day practicing their suture skills, testing their dexterity on simulators, checking out MedFlight, and talking to doctors and medical students about their experience. Jonah also got a chance to teach some of the staff members how to crochet.

As Jonah pointed out, it was also a good excuse to be out of school for the day.

“This is what my future’s going to be, so I feel like this is an important thing for me to do,” Jonah said.

Jonah also plans to work overseas in Ethiopia when he’s older, offering treatment to people living in his home country. He’s already raising money for communities in need there through “Jonah’s Hands“. Hundreds of thousands of people are following hhis crocheting on his Facebook and Instagram pages, hopefully soon, they’ll also be following his journey toward a doctorate.

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