Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5 year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled as we all did, seeing the color returning to her face. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right now?”

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all his blood in order to save her.