Terminally ill children shared what gives their life meaning

Caring for dying children is probably one of the hardest jobs in the world.

For South African paediatrician Alastair McAlpine, it is a reality he has to deal with every day.

His role is to make sure the youngsters experience as much happiness as possible in their final days.

Recently he was given an assignment where he asked his patients what they had enjoyed most about their short time on Earth.

The responses from the kids, who are aged between 4 and 9, might not be what you would expect.

According to Alastair, none of them wished they had watched more television or spent more time on Facebook.

Alastair compiled all of the response in a moving Twitter thread which quickly went viral.

For an assignment, I asked some of my terminal paediatric palliative care patients what they had enjoyed in life, and what gave it meaning. Kids can be so wise, y'know. Here are some of the responses (Thread).

— Alastair McAlpine (@AlastairMcA30) February 1, 2018

Finally, they ALL valued time with their family. Nothing was more important.
'Mum and dad are the best!'
'My sister always hugs me tight'
'No one loves me like mummy loves me!' /11

— Alastair McAlpine (@AlastairMcA30) February 1, 2018

Almost ALL of them loved people who made them laugh:
'That magician is so silly! His pants fell down and I couldn't stop laughing!'
'My daddy pulls funny faces which I just love!'
'The boy in the next bed farted! Hahaha!'

Laughter relieves pain. /9

— Alastair McAlpine (@AlastairMcA30) February 1, 2018

MANY wished they had spent less time worrying about what others thought of them, and valued people who just treated them 'normally'.
'My real friends didn't care when my hair fell out.'
'Jane came to visit after the surgery and didn't even notice the scar!' /6

— Alastair McAlpine (@AlastairMcA30) February 1, 2018

ALL of them loved books or being told stories, especially by their parents:
'Harry Potter made me feel brave.'
'I love stories in space!'
'I want to be a great detective like Sherlock Holmes when I'm better!'

Folks, read to your kids! They love it. /5

— Alastair McAlpine (@AlastairMcA30) February 1, 2018

MANY mentioned their pets:
'I love Rufus, his funny bark makes me laugh.'
'I love when Ginny snuggles up to me at night and purrs'
'I was happiest riding Jake on the beach.'
/2

— Alastair McAlpine (@AlastairMcA30) February 1, 2018

These sage words display a maturity in these kids that most adults would strive for.

Alastair's take-home message is something that we should all take to heart.

Take home message:
Be kind. Read more books. Spend time with your family. Crack jokes. Go to the beach. Hug your dog. Tell that special person you love them.

These are the things these kids wished they could've done more. The rest is details.

Oh... and eat ice-cream. /End

— Alastair McAlpine (@AlastairMcA30) February 1, 2018

(Source: Independent)