Saving someone's life

Sounds dramatic? Well it's true.

I remember the concept of diffused responsibility from having studied social psychology.

There's the scene:
-my friend gone to China to give a talk at a conference,
-her 13 year old son staying with different families while she is away,
-his broken arm with bits of wires sticking out and his BCG injection fresh from the hospital,
-my promise to check up on his well-being throughout her absence...

He is a tough boy, used to hiding his feelings of discomfort and pain. I had to really draw out of him that the pain in his arm wasn't just "par for the course", but a bit more than that!

Three hours later, the plaster removed, the antibiotic drip installed and the boy in the hospital bed, I am in shock: I very nearly didn't make the call to him, thinking he was in good hands with the families. Clearly, each of the families felt the same and so no-one was taking responsibility for really checking the arm situation, only giving their young guest a bit more pain killing tablets when he told them he was in pain...

This made me realise in a very big way how much each of us is responsible for doing what is right, without reference to what others may or may not do in their own right.

I am so grateful for being secure in my thinking and being oblivious to the fear of what others may think about my interfering!

I also decided that "my" patient was not fit to travel to China himself on Sunday, and asked his mother to come back to the UK...Knowing how much they had looked forward to the trip, that was quite hard, but again the right decision, as now the doctors have had to operate on the arm again, and Nick is being kept in hospital until Monday morning at least...

I am telling this story as a bit of a cautionary tale, and releasing the spirit of personal responsibility into the ether...May those who can, capture it and make it theirs!