To help children feel less afraid of surgery, a graduate of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa created a story to guide young patients through the experience. Mariah Gosling, a 2022 alumna, wrote Toby’s Magic Bubbles: An Anesthesia Story to comfort pediatric patients in the moments leading up to their operations.
I discovered my passion for helping children feel safe and empowered in the medical setting,
—Mariah Gosling
The story follows Toby, a young sea turtle who feels nervous before surgery. He soon discovers “magic bubbles”—a child-friendly symbol of anesthesia—that carry him into a dreamlike world of friends and adventures, where he finds his courage.
Now in her final year of the University of Miami’s Anesthesiology Residency Program, Gosling hopes that Toby’s bravery resonates with her young readers.
“As a soon-to-be pediatric anesthesiology fellow, spending time with patients in the preoperative setting, I discovered my passion for helping children feel safe and empowered in the medical setting,” she said.
Gosling credits her time at JABSOM and mentors Jason Isa (a 2002 JABSOM alumnus) and Cindy Ku for shaping her growth as a compassionate physician.
“[Drs. Isa and Ku] taught me the foundations of anesthesia and welcomed me like family,” she said. “I admired their knowledge, procedural skills, and the genuine rapport they built with patients—and it was in those moments that I knew anesthesiology was the path I wanted to follow.”
Toby’s Magic Bubbles is now available on Amazon. Gosling hopes to donate copies to children’s hospitals to inspire young patients facing surgery.
