Thursday, June 14, 2007

GIVING WHEN IT COUNTS

I got this article from somewhere - forgot already ! But I post it here just to share with others. Here it goes ...

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 elder 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 color return 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 straight 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 so.
The question is - How far are we willing to go to help others ?

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