10,000 years ago you would just eat the weak kids, not spend huge chunks of your families survival on them. I have 5 and one has had decently serious medical expenses. I've done the push your kid through Riley in a Radio Flyer with balloons and teddy bears thing. Seeing the kids in the same get-up, but with life threatening or terminal illnesses go by is heart wrecking. The people that work in the children's ward--all women--are much, much stronger than any guy that wins a medal on the battlefield. They aren't under stress with a huge rush of adrenalin and doing something nuts. They go from Starbucks to tiny, withered, terminally ill child in 7 blocks of traffic. How do you face that every day? I would rather be dead. I couldn't do it. These kids undergo horrifically painful treatments that have almost no chance of success and are tiny little balls of agony in the recovery ward. These nurses have to suck up that shocking scene and act bubbly and cheerful while treating them. I have walked through scenes of blown up dead people and would rather do that than make another trip to Riley.
Throw your change into that little red wagon when you leave Wal-mart. Hopefully that little gift comes back around for you. I've had a little girl in the ward and it was very scary and sad.
