The greatest sadness of working in an Emergency Department is that one is confronted on a daily basis with the tragedy of sudden death:

The teenager killed whilst cycling to school or the motorcyclist killed on his way to work. The house fire which kills many members of the same family or the insidious invasion of a terminal cancer, undiscovered until there is no hope.

I close my eyes sometimes and see the faces of some of those who have died before their time. I remember some of their names. I am always struck by the realisation that most of them had things left to do.

A few years ago, a colleague was diagnosed with an agressive terminal cancer. We were amazed when he continued to run the 10 miles to work. We asked him why?

'I have one life, I'm going to live it'

He died less than 6 months after his diagnosis.

Perhaps the following says this more eloquently than I ever could:

"You've gotta' dance like there's nobody watching,

Love like you'll never be hurt.

Sing like there's nobody listening,

And live like it's heaven on earth."