Since children receive, on average, more than two dozen shots by the age of six, it's understandable that some would develop a fear of needles.
With that phobia in mind, an Atlanta mom and emergency medicine specialist tried to find a way to minimize the pain at the pediatrician.
In the basement of her Intown Atlanta home, Dr. Amy Baxter created Buzzy.
"When I started this I didn't intend for this to be my life," Dr. Baxter said.
But the burgeoning business in the basement took over the life and career of this doctor and mother-of-three.
The inspiration dates back to 2001 when she took her son, then four-years-old, to the pediatrician for routine shots.
Despite all of her planning with numbing cream and toys for distraction, Max became terrified.
"If I was so dis-empowered that I couldn't even intervene and say, 'hold on a second,' then what can any parent do?" Baxter said.
With future immunizations in mind, she started brainstorming solutions.
"And one night driving home from an emergency shift, my hands were vibrating because the steering wheel was unbalanced because the tires were unbalanced and my hands got numb. And I was like, I don't need water, I don't need motion, I just need a vibrator!"
After disassembling personal massagers and vibrating cell phones, she realized she needed something else that vibrated.
"I went to a sex shop and I got everything they had that was on sale," Baxter said.
Baxter finally found the cylindrical motor she needed.
So how does it work? The sensation of the frozen pack attached to "Buzzy" and the vibration from the plastic device itself helps to desensitize the nerves and thus the pain of a shot is dulled.
"On the arm it takes a little longer, so maybe 30 seconds. Then slide it up and do the shot underneath it."
It's also empowering adults with their own medical needs.
"We get letters every week from parents whose kids lives have changed, from moms who were going to quit breast-feeding, from moms who are pregnant now and were going to give up on IVF," Baxter said.
On sabbatical from her medical practice to focus on Buzzy full-time, it's still challenging. But reflecting on the successes and how much this device is taking away others pain, it's all worth it.
"Has it been fun? In retrospect, because it's like labor, you forget the pain," Baxter said.
"Buzzy" launched in 2009 and Baxter said they have sold 30,000 units at $39.94. This year, they're on target for to bring in $1 million in sales.
You can find them on-line at www.buzzy4shots.com
