Paediatric Outpatient

I was with Dr Tom Hurley at outpatient today. He is really awesome and all his patients and their parents love him. He is empathetic, compassionate and he always takes time to listen to both the parents and the children. He relates very well with them too.

We saw a few interesting patients today.

1) Cody with pyruvate kinase deficiency. (she looks completely yellow)
2) Jasmine with Angelman syndrome.
3) A boy with pervasive developmental disorder - no otherwise specified (PPD-NOS)
4) A girl with type 1 diabetes mellitus who is on insulin. (she told me that she is sad coz everyone in her family and class can eat chocolate but she can't because of her illness)
5) A boy with Down syndrome.

Seeing these children with some form of mal-development/disorder made me think about how sometimes life can throw such heavy blow at you. Having children is meant to be a joyful thing, but it can suddenly become an instant nightmare when the child inherits or acquires some form of chronic diseases. I cannot imagine what the parents' reactions were when such unfortunate events occur. Shock? Utter bewilderment? Fear? Anger? Bitterness? It certainly made me think about my own children as well.

Looking at these children, it is not pity that welled up in my heart. It is... adoration, deep sympathy, love, and connection mixed with a tinge of sadness. No matter what chronic illnesses they bear, they are a beautiful creation, if you can see through the eyes of God, rather than the eyes of sins. Just by being with them, watching their every movement, smiling and playing with them worth a lot more than being able to analyse them, study them, or theorise various forms of treatment for them.

'See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.' Matthew 18:10

God bless these children. :)