Wednesday, January 18, 2012

How To Treat People - Lesson Five

Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts... [Not my personal account]

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & 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 little 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
her."  As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing
the color returning to her cheek. 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 little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

(The above story is not from my personal experience.)

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