Karen

When you see a man of strength, a man of leadership and power, a skilled surgeon, turn away from an xray, walk to the end of the room and hang his head, then turn back with tears in his eyes...you either have to turn away or start balling your eyes out. I chose to turn away for a moment.

Normally, when I realize that a young child has metastastatic cancer and is going to die, I would feel sorry for the child and her mother. However, in that moment, I felt more sorry for the strong man with tears in his eyes who had yet to explain to this poor family who had already suffered so much, that their precious little girl was going to die.

Karen has a long sad story of cancer in her leg that was not removed until very late because the family kept waiting, refusing surgery, praying for a miracle. This surgeon had pursued the family, talked with them, prayed with them, cared for this waif of a girl and finally removed her left leg. Once, I even saw him climb onto an old bus packed with people in the middle of a rainstorm to take a look at this girl's leg when her mother recognized us in the line of cars waiting to cross a flooded river. That's what I call going beyond the call of duty!

After the amputation, little Karen had a slow recovery and was very depressed but finally learned to walk with crutches and soon was dropping by the hospital with her Mom and a radiant smile to visit her friends. Everyone knows her and her story and we were so relieved when her parents finally brought her for the amputation.

However, when she arrived today with pain in her chest and an xray showing cancer in her lungs, it seems that all this care and fighting to save her was for nothing. Or was it? Her Mom still has a smile and still praises God for the care their surgeon gives her daughter and for the life her daughter has had. Maybe she doesn't understand my medical mind ponders. But, then again, maybe she does and she is trusting God with the life of her little girl.