Many years ago, there was 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.
The little brother hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and said,
The little brother hesitated for only a moment before taking a deep breath and said,
'Yes I'll do it if it will save her.'
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister
and smiled 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,
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.
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
but he had chosen to save her anyway.
He wanted his little sister to live even if, in his own understanding,
it would mean giving up his own.
