finances vs. life.... all through the eyes of a 13 year old

How do you explain to a 13 year old that he could have lost his life if he didn't have the much needed appendectomy when what he is really concerned about is how his mom and dad are going to be able to pay for his hospital bill?

That was one of the most heart breaking conversations I have ever had. This 7th grader who was such a joy to take care of post operatively was very concerned about rushing his discharge as to not increase his parents bill. My first reaction was gonna be, well of course your insurance will cover your surgery but I could tell by the look in his mother's eyes that that wasn't the case.

I found out some information, Dad's work has been unstable due to the shaky financial status that the world is in right now and Mom is out of work, pending major surgery herself.

I sat there by this young man's bed and looked him in the eye and very clearly told him that though I didn't know their family and I didn't know all about their financial situation I was guaranteed of one thing and that was that no matter what, his mom and his dad loved him more than any bill and the fact that he was alive this morning made paying that bill totally worth it all!

I am sure that his mother got very little sleep last night on our uncomfortable fold out bed. Concern for her son and her financial woes building as she slept but knowing that the source of the infection had been removed and that by next week he will be doing all the things that a normal 13 year old does I pray that she was able to rest assured knowing that in time even the bills will be a distant memory.