When All Else Fails: Keep Fighting

Another week has gone by and for the first time I am asking the question.....where has the summer gone?

I feel like it was yesterday when I walked aimlessly into Children's for the first time wondering what this summer had in store. Yes, the first week contained me getting lost, forgetting people's names and people probably wondering who is this kid?

What I did not realize was how much I was going to learn and do in a matter of four weeks. Somehow my great team has allowed me to go to numerous shoots, a Braves game, the Zoo and meet countless individuals who have impacted people of all ages.

I know the fellow interns can agree with me on this when I say there really is never a dull moment at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Yes, I may have to take naps many days because my body is still not used to getting up at 6:00, but this is what I love. I love the fast-paced environment of children every single day coming into the hospital needing your help. I am blessed.

Sitting at home one day this week, I heard the news of a teenage boy battling leukemia at Children's. A good friend of mine kept me updated all week on his condition. Each day, his condition continued to worsen until finally the doctor said there was nothing else he could medically do to keep him alive.

On Thursday, this teenage boy was released to go home for the final time. Sadly, yesterday he passed away. My friend could not say enough great things about this young man. He was a teenager who genuinely cared for the people around him and never stopped smiling.

My friend later described how he fought to the very end and never gave up. His body had failed him, but that love and kind spirit he showed until the very end was never forgotten.

He found strength and comfort in his Heavenly Father who is our sole provider. The Lord never wavered from his side even through the toughest moments. He was there with him each and every breath up until his last.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Life is so fragile, but let us never forget we have a Father who is always there.