I spent years caring for children, mending what life had broken too soon. Yet, nothing had prepared me for this encounter. A little six-year-old boy, too thin for his hospital bed, his eyes wide and worried. His name was Lucas. His heart was failing, his future uncertain, and despite his fear, he almost apologized for being there. From the very first moment, something tightened in my chest.
A healed heart… then an unbearable emptiness
Lucas was alone. No parents, no bag, no note. Just a stuffed dinosaur lying sideways. When he shrugged and said his parents “had to leave,” I felt a chill I’ll never forget.
