Brodie recovers but still misses Dr Fitz

Brodie Hunter, 11, came out of surgery in a stable condition but still without his toy monkey, Dr Fitz, yesterday.

Dr Fitz went missing from Brodie's room in Tauranga Hospital's children's ward between February 6 and 7.

Dr Fitz had accompanied Brodie to theatre on about 20 different occasions, so his absence was felt.

Doctors at Starship Hospital operated on Brodie's stomach yesterday, in a procedure that took about two and a half hours.

Meanwhile staff at Tauranga Hospital's children's ward still had no word on Dr Fitz. When the Bay of Plenty Times spoke to Brodie's father, Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter, Brodie was still asleep, but was lying next to the toy dog staff at Tauranga Hospital had given him. Brodie had not yet named the dog, indicating it was no replacement for Dr Fitz.

Mr Hunter said, "Brodie is going to make a full recovery once again." Brodie has storage disease - a rare genetic disorder that causes excess substances to build up in certain cells in the body, causing seizures and life-threatening problems affecting the organs, bones and heart.