Thursday, January 19, 2012

Blood Anyone?

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford
Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering
from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery
appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother,
who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed
the antibodies, needed to combat the illness. The doctor
explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy
if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him
hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and
saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister
and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her
cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up
at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to
die right away?" Being young, the boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of
his blood. Attitude, after all, is everything.

-- Author Unknown

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