Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-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 boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor, he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.
多年前，我曾在斯丹福医院做义工，认识了一个叫丽莎的小女孩。她身患重疾，病情十分罕见，惟一的康复机会便是接受五岁小弟的输血，因为弟弟也曾罹患此病，后来奇迹般地活了下来，体内生成了抗体能够对抗病毒。
医生向丽莎的小弟弟解释了情况，问他是否愿意输血给姐姐。我见他稍事迟疑，然后作了个深呼吸说：“如果能救活丽莎，我愿意。”
输血时，他就躺在姐姐身旁，看到姐姐双颊恢复了红润，他也像大家一样露出了微笑。然后他脸色渐渐苍白，笑容不见了。他望着医生，用颤抖的声音问道：“我会马上死掉吗？”
原来他年纪太小，误解了医生的意思，以为要将全身的血都输给姐姐。