Five Lessons for Life - Part 5

Giving When It Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of survival was a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and developed the antibodies to combat it.

The doctor explained the situation to the boy and asked if he was willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes if it will save her."

He lay in bed next to his sister and as the transfusion progressed, he smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returned to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale as his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" The little boy had misunderstood the doctor - he thought he had to give his sister all his blood in order to save her. Yet he was willing to do it.

Sent to Starmag by Lim Siew Yin