I have to write about one of the most precious moments I witnessed today in the hospital. Kids are always a joy, and even a simple game of peek-a-boo with a smiling child is enough to make my time in the hospital more than worth it.
This month I'm rotating on pediatric neurology. It's been such an exhilarating month, and working with the kids and their families has definitely been a gratifying experience. But this afternoon, my most memorable was not seen in the ED, or on the inpatient floors... but instead occurred within the walls of the outpatient clinic.
The resident presented the case to us med students, as well as the attending. It was a mysterious story. As the resident dictated the details of the history to all of our listening ears, we tried to develop our differential. That's the routine: discuss, plan... and be prepared to say what you need to the family.
We entered the room, and seated inside the room was the father, mother, and 2 adorable little girls. You would guess they were twins, from how they were dressed! Both had matching hello kitty outfits, and they were playing peacefully in the corner. I glanced at mom, and noticed her eyes were red from crying. As we explained our thoughts, and proposed plan of action, the mother continued to sit quietly in tears, as the father did most of the talking. I slid the box of tissues closer to her on the counter, and just gave her a friendly rub on the shoulder. The usual. But I could understand her frustration and fright (I mean, I'm not a parent... but... you get the point). This was something new for them, and I can't imagine hearing 4 doctors within 2 days say, "We don't really know what this could be." As the neurologists, we were the final resort, and yes, we were #4 to say we don't REALLY know. But we had a plan to develop a starting point for workup. This is someone's child, and they deserve an answer... or at least a strong effort to try to arrive at one.
We examined the 4-year-old on her mother's lap. Meanwhile, the slightly older sister (my guess is she was 5-years-old), walked up to her mom and sister. She wanted to be held too. Siblings often do that, when one gets attention, the other one also wants some love.
What I didn't expect was for this little 5-year-old girl to grab a tissue, fold it gently, and dab at her mother's eyes. It was the way a mother would delicately dab at her child's tears... I could tell she was being soft and cautious. And then she leaned closer to her mother and whispered, "Don't cry, momma. It'll be okay," and continued to dry her tears. She then planted the softest kiss on her mother's cheek.
All I could think is how lucky this mother was to have such an incredibly mature, caring daughter. She's so young, and I have never seen a child perform those actions so flawlessly. I've seen kids plant kisses on their parents' cheeks. I've heard them say things like "mommy! don't cry!" (usually without any effort to say it quietly, lol). I've also seen the child who doesn't know what to do except look frightened, or even start their own crying, at the sight of their parent's tears (I believe I'm usually the latter, unfortunately). It really was like watching a young angel, planted here on earth, to take care of those she loves. I was left in awe at that moment. No, I don't believe she was an "overly" mature child, because aside from that she was playing like a typical 5-year-old girl, holding her doll tightly, and maintaining her shy, soft-spoken demeanor around us.
One day she WILL be the caretaker of her own mother, and I hope she remains as angelic then as she is now. I wish I had taken a minute at the end of the visit to tell her to ALWAYS love her mother the way she does now. I hope she continues to dry her mother's tears, and that she will never be the one causing them to fall.
And -- to my own mom -- I may not say it, but I Love You. :)
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