What do terminally ill children believe is most important in life?

Palliative care physician, Dr McAlpine, has worked with young terminally ill children between four and nine who don’t have long to live. His job is to make them as comfortable as possible in their last months and days.

Through talking to the children every day, he realised their wisdom about life, what’s important and what’s not was worth sharing with the world so he took to social media to share their thoughts. 

In a series of posts Dr Alastair McAlpine, who is South African but works in Canada, outlined what his patients loved about their lives.

Unsurprisingly the beach and ice-cream were hugely important to these kids, but so was kindness and getting hugs. The rest of his findings might just move you to tears...

1. None of them thought TV or gaming was important, and they didn't like fighting.

2. Their beloved pets are a huge source of comfort and joy to them

3. Many worry about how their parents will cope after they have died.

4. Everybody loves ice-cream

5. They love being told stories by mum and dad or reading books

6. They realised that worrying became less and less important

7. Going to the beach is something they always remember

7. Kindness is the greatest trait of all

9. Laughing ranks as one of their favourite things to do

10. They just want to be with their family.

And Dr McAlpine summed up...