I twitter pic’d Friday that I was at the worlds greatest hospital — The Hospital for Sick Children, AKA SickKids.ca in Toronto.

This is one of those magical scary places that you never really understand until you leave there. For many it’s about getting there and just being able to see a doctor. For me and my family it’s all about leaving. If you ever experience the misfortune of having to be there, rest assured you are in one of the best places you could ever be. Hopefully your departure will be better than your arrival.

First of all it is a hospital — it treats and cures the sickest of the sick. They practice open heart and brain  surgery, fight cancers and repair birth deformities like they are everyday occurrences. They do this and so much more every day, treating kids 18years and under. I can’t get over the age range of kids you see there — from 1 week till their old enough to reach the elevator button on the highest floor.

This place is a hustle and bustle of parents and kids, all with one mission: get treatment, get good care, get better and get out.

Our first trip was 2 and a half years ago, our son Sam had an inguinal hernia which required treatment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inguinal_hernia

An inguinal hernia (pronounced /ˈɪŋɡwɨnəl ˈhɜrniə/) is a protrusion of abdominal-cavity contents through the inguinal canal. They are very common (lifetime risk 27% for men, 3% for women^[1]), and their repair is one of the most frequently performed surgical operations.

From first diagnoses to a midnight visit to the emergency room, Sam’s inguinal hernia was fixed lickety split and then sent us on our way. They told us this was very common and would likely happen on the the other side. And sure enough, it did.

So we had the pleasure of visiting this magical machine again. We have been very lucky with both of our kids lives that they really don’t know this place, other than to take Christmas presents there the week before the holidays for children who can’t celebrate at home or for those who would not get presents otherwise.

There is not a disease, illness or medical concern that this place hasn’t seen.

The Hospital for Sick Kids is a tremendous institution, that makes sad families and kids happy again.

For all the parents and kids who have spent countless hours, days, months and years in the halls of this place and especially to those who have left cured, it is a truly magical machine.For everyone else who is still there today or for the parents who are suffering through trials and tragedies that no family should have to bear, our hearts break for you and our eyes tear.

We don’t know how they do it. How day in and day out, the people who work and volunteer at Sick Kids Hospital persevere. They see the pain and suffering of those among us who should most be spared such things and manage not only to cope but, to come back again and again to make the magical machine run so well. We don’t know how but, we do know that every parent ever touched by the magical machine and the people who make it work, loves them dearly with all their heart. Perhaps that is the magic of this machine, the people who keep it working so well, every day finding  just reward in a parent’s gratitude and a healed child’s wave goodbye.

Please check them out. Your support keeps the magical machine humming.

• Sick Kids Foundation
• Sick Kids Foundation Blog
• Make a donation to Sick Kids Foundation
• About Kids Health
• Sick Kids Foundation social networks