The Strength of a Child

From Dr. Michelle Spring, Webster Fellow: It is always surprising to see how strong even the youngest children are.  They rarely cry, and they often do not have much pain after surgery.  They let the doctors exam them over and over again, even if it causes discomfort. We operated on a little 9 year-old boy with a cleft palate and found out postoperatively that his caretaker in the hospital is his 13 year-old brother.   On the ward, there are 6-8 children in each room, each with a member of his or her family.  When we visit the ward and even when we leave the hospital, the families and even the townspeople tell us over and over again that they are very grateful for us to be here.