philreich
TheBrownDog
- Mar 2, 2014
- 58,606
- 147,599
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
As I intimated the other day, this is another article I posted on TPFP a couple of years ago, and I thought it should be reproduced here. Enjoy.
It’s incredible to ponder how much the human body can endure – especially children. A few years ago, my wife and I experienced this first hand, when our youngest son Brian had to undergo an operation on his back, to relieve pressure on his spine. Let me say from the outset that the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital is a remarkable organisation – if you’ve ever got a bit of spare cash that you don’t know what to do with (yeah right!!!!!!), you could do a lot worse than make a donation to this most worthy cause.
The young people we met and read about in the Newland Ward were nothing short of inspirational. We adults sometimes moan and complain about the smallest of ailments, such as a runny nose. But on the whole, the children in Newland Ward were a fairly resilient bunch, and accepted their situation (except Brian, who certainly made his presence felt on more than one occasion
).
Two kids in particular stuck in my mind as being truly fantastic young South Australians:
· On the wall in Newland Ward, there was a newspaper article about a little champion named Rachel. Rachel was a happy-go-lucky young girl, and also very smart: she was an A+ student at school. But at the age of 13 she was struck down with a brain tumour, which subsequently burst!!! She underwent 7 brain operations, 9 months in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and 11 months of chemotherapy, after which she was given the all clear to return to school. She then amazed everybody who knew her by completing year 12, and in her final exams she got 2 perfect 20’s and a 19. So as they say in the classics, the world is her oyster.
· Also on the wall in Newland Ward, there was another newspaper article about a 5 year old boy, who said to his mother one day, “Mummy – I’d like to raise some money for the children in the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital.” So he gathered some sponsors, and rode his push bike from Para Vista to Salisbury – a trip of about 6 kilometres. His efforts raised $314.00 for the hospital (and presented to Newland Ward): a remarkable show of good will from a young man with a giant heart.
Finally, a word to parents. Our children can sometimes be a real pain in the bum. In fact, at times we’d like to wring their scrawny necks. But I have to say – when your child is flat on his/her back in hospital, in obvious pain, we soon realise how important our kids are, and how tough life would be without them. I would urge every parent to give each of your children a hug every day: they’re our most precious asset.
It’s incredible to ponder how much the human body can endure – especially children. A few years ago, my wife and I experienced this first hand, when our youngest son Brian had to undergo an operation on his back, to relieve pressure on his spine. Let me say from the outset that the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital is a remarkable organisation – if you’ve ever got a bit of spare cash that you don’t know what to do with (yeah right!!!!!!), you could do a lot worse than make a donation to this most worthy cause.
The young people we met and read about in the Newland Ward were nothing short of inspirational. We adults sometimes moan and complain about the smallest of ailments, such as a runny nose. But on the whole, the children in Newland Ward were a fairly resilient bunch, and accepted their situation (except Brian, who certainly made his presence felt on more than one occasion
).Two kids in particular stuck in my mind as being truly fantastic young South Australians:
· On the wall in Newland Ward, there was a newspaper article about a little champion named Rachel. Rachel was a happy-go-lucky young girl, and also very smart: she was an A+ student at school. But at the age of 13 she was struck down with a brain tumour, which subsequently burst!!! She underwent 7 brain operations, 9 months in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and 11 months of chemotherapy, after which she was given the all clear to return to school. She then amazed everybody who knew her by completing year 12, and in her final exams she got 2 perfect 20’s and a 19. So as they say in the classics, the world is her oyster.
· Also on the wall in Newland Ward, there was another newspaper article about a 5 year old boy, who said to his mother one day, “Mummy – I’d like to raise some money for the children in the Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital.” So he gathered some sponsors, and rode his push bike from Para Vista to Salisbury – a trip of about 6 kilometres. His efforts raised $314.00 for the hospital (and presented to Newland Ward): a remarkable show of good will from a young man with a giant heart.
Finally, a word to parents. Our children can sometimes be a real pain in the bum. In fact, at times we’d like to wring their scrawny necks
. But I have to say – when your child is flat on his/her back in hospital, in obvious pain, we soon realise how important our kids are, and how tough life would be without them. I would urge every parent to give each of your children a hug every day: they’re our most precious asset.