EXCERPT FROM EMAIL TO FRIENDS

These are friends from the kids’ school. Their child has had surgery and treatment for a life-threatening illness, at the Royal Children’s Hospital. They were in the hospital last Tuesday while their son had treatment.

"Shane and I were both around the hospital on Tuesday. . . We had a very sad afternoon and evening, but thankfully not because of Rose.

A boy who'd had a . . . transplant on the same day as Rose's transplant had been sharing Rose's room. (They keep transplant recipients isolated together because they have the same barrier nursing requirements, etc.) Naturally we'd spent the past nearly 3 weeks in his family's constant company. Lovely folks. . .

Sadly, the boy was assessed to be brain-dead on Tuesday, and his family had to go through the harrowing process of withdrawing treatment and saying their goodbyes to him. To be so close to their loss was very intense and humbling. The nurses were bloody amazing.

Rose, though she looks bloody shocking at the moment with huge healing incision scars, tubes coming out and going in everywhere, ventilator pumping away, huge belly and ongoing jaundice, seemed, to Shane and I at least, full of life that day. She had a raging fever, but spent the day air-kissing everyone and babbling (silently, because she can't make any sound with the ventilator).

We felt (and feel!) so grateful to have her, and so very sad for this boy’s folks."