Help, please?
RC (my bf) is a delivery driver for a company that delivers drugs and supplies for people and families of hospice patients. Today, he called me and said he had a delivery to a kid with terminal cancer, and wanted to know if I had a fursuit in my car. For once, I didn't, but I told him I could wear Aragorn's if he'd let me (he did). So I went to his place, picked up the suit, and RC was waiting for me to drive to this kid's house.
Along the way, he told me a tiny bit about the boy: he'd had his Make-A-Wish event (to see Adam Rickman, from Man vs Food), and that the boxes contained morphine and syringes. I started putting this together, and asked him if he was sedated or walking still; he didn't know. He also didn't know his age (or name), but I'm guessing around 12, judging by the family.
I started to think, "this kid wasn't going to be up and about if his doctor ordered a huge box of Morphine, unless he JUST got out of the hospital". RC said he'd never made a delivery there, so that was something to hope for.
So we got there, and I told RC to tell them that there was a "generic wolf mascot" that wanted to make the delivery. They said yes please, so I got out of the car, carried the box of ...something (prolly the syringes cause it was light), and walked into the house. His mother and older brother were there to happily greet me, and they took a couple of pictures, but I didn't see the boy. We left quickly, but RC was carrying a big box of something they gave him to return.
When I got into the car, I asked if the boy was around to see me. He said the kid was asleep. When I asked about the box, he told me they wanted to return it; it was full of unused saline, because they'd taken him off of fluids this evening.
I cried; I didn't know this kid at all. My efforts to try to spread some cheer to him were for naught. He's more than likely never going to wake up, and see the pictures that his mom and brother took.
I know this sounds like its all about me, but it isn't. I felt horrible that the kid is dying, and just wanted him to smile once more. I'm praying God lets him wake up tomorrow and lets him see the pictures. He needs to smile once more, and let his family see his joy; let them remember him with a smile rather than a blank face.
I guess I just need to ask a question to the people that fursuit at a hospital: How do you deal with something like this? Its painful to see (or hear about) someone who may never wake up again, or won't remember that they smiled once more than they would have in their short life. I know there are plenty of kids that have a bit longer life ahead of them and will remember their joy of seeing a costumed character trying to make their lives that much happier. But the ones that you know aren't going to wake up the next day...how do you control your emotions and smile thru it?
Along the way, he told me a tiny bit about the boy: he'd had his Make-A-Wish event (to see Adam Rickman, from Man vs Food), and that the boxes contained morphine and syringes. I started putting this together, and asked him if he was sedated or walking still; he didn't know. He also didn't know his age (or name), but I'm guessing around 12, judging by the family.
I started to think, "this kid wasn't going to be up and about if his doctor ordered a huge box of Morphine, unless he JUST got out of the hospital". RC said he'd never made a delivery there, so that was something to hope for.
So we got there, and I told RC to tell them that there was a "generic wolf mascot" that wanted to make the delivery. They said yes please, so I got out of the car, carried the box of ...something (prolly the syringes cause it was light), and walked into the house. His mother and older brother were there to happily greet me, and they took a couple of pictures, but I didn't see the boy. We left quickly, but RC was carrying a big box of something they gave him to return.
When I got into the car, I asked if the boy was around to see me. He said the kid was asleep. When I asked about the box, he told me they wanted to return it; it was full of unused saline, because they'd taken him off of fluids this evening.
I cried; I didn't know this kid at all. My efforts to try to spread some cheer to him were for naught. He's more than likely never going to wake up, and see the pictures that his mom and brother took.
I know this sounds like its all about me, but it isn't. I felt horrible that the kid is dying, and just wanted him to smile once more. I'm praying God lets him wake up tomorrow and lets him see the pictures. He needs to smile once more, and let his family see his joy; let them remember him with a smile rather than a blank face.
I guess I just need to ask a question to the people that fursuit at a hospital: How do you deal with something like this? Its painful to see (or hear about) someone who may never wake up again, or won't remember that they smiled once more than they would have in their short life. I know there are plenty of kids that have a bit longer life ahead of them and will remember their joy of seeing a costumed character trying to make their lives that much happier. But the ones that you know aren't going to wake up the next day...how do you control your emotions and smile thru it?