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Daryn Liu is an 18-year-old high school senior who volunteered
on 9 East and CAT/CR at Children’s Hospital last summer. As
part of a class project, he wrote the following essay about his
experiences.
 omeone
once asked me the thought-provoking question, what is the purpose
of life? I believe Robin Williams answered it best in Patch Adams,
“If you treat a patient, you’ll win or you’ll lose.
If you treat a person, I guarantee you’ll win.” This quotation
was initially irrelevant to me, but then it was put into perspective
when I volunteered
at Children’s Hospital Boston this past summer. As I entered
my designated patient floor for the first time, I had an overwhelming
sense of compassion towards these children who needed medical help.
They were hospitalized for weeks at a time and could do nothing
about it. This hospital was the best in the world with the finest
doctors working for them, but this was no compensation for these
kids. I thought there was nothing I could do for them. I thought
my companionship would merely be a distraction to them. I thought
wrong.
The kids were of all ages and medical conditions and I befriended
them all. I soon realized my effort was not a distraction, it was
an enjoyable rarity. I loved conversing with each teenager, playing
games with every toddler, and comforting every infant. However,
there were a couple of children I will never forget. [One of them]
was a little girl who could not speak or see. She was a blind infant
who was only one month old. This girl was special because she was
not like the kids I usually interacted with. At first, I panicked
because I did not know anything about infants, particularly blind
ones who cannot see someone playing peek-a-boo or making silly faces.
Then she began to cry. There was no nurse or mother around to tend
her so I needed to act quickly. I put myself in the little girl’s
position. I figured if I wanted comfort but could not see, I would
need to use my other senses to find some. I began rubbing the baby's
chest gently. Sure enough, she stopped crying and went to sleep
after a few minutes of knowing she was not alone.
After volunteering at Children’s Hospital Boston, I knew I
wanted to become a pediatrician so I could help children back to
health. I made a true connection with these kids and helped them
in a way I never thought possible. After volunteering at this hospital,
I now feel an obligation to care for children and make their well-being
a priority. When I accomplish something as altruistic as becoming
a pediatrician, I will know I have fulfilled my life’s purpose.
Related link:
Volunteering
at Children's Hosptial Boston
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