Delivering Heartbreaking News to a Young Patient | Chicago Med | MD TV

This has to be the worst part of being a doctor, knowing what's wrong and there's nothing you can do to fix it.

It is hard to believe that Dr. Charles, played by Oliver Platt, isn't a real psychiatrist. He has totally nailed the role!!!

Dr. Charles is such a professional. He manages to deliver devastating news without offering false hope, but at the same time remain compassionate.

I love the approach that Dr. Charles took when explaining the illness by lifting Parker's spirits assuring him that he'd live longer than Parker thought. He made light of the situation and that's admirable behavior (even if it is a tv show).

Damn, the kid imbraced his fate with such bravery. Nice episode

When I tell you I started balling when he was explaining that he was making a “Instructional movie” for his little brother 😭😭😭

I teared up when the little boy said that 5 years is a long time 😢

I love the word “yet”. I have a cousin who was born with a terminal illness that there’s still no definitive cure for—but even though his expected lifespan isn’t long, each year is a year in which a new treatment, maybe even a cure, can be found. And even though there still isn’t a cure for his illness, each year has brought new hope with reports of longer lifespans among other patients, more effective treatments, and his health hasn’t declined the closer he gets to his “expiration date”. “Yet” is a powerful word.

Props to the parents for actually telling him he’s sick and what it is instead of keeping it a secret until later

I've been the parent receiving the news of a terminal, incurable degenerative disease for my child. I've been told he will live only a couple more years. My son turns 10 in February. This hit me HARD.

man this little kid has such emotional capacity. “am i gonna die?” “yes” “am i gonna die in a year?” “no, way longer than that” and he takes it like a champ. the child actor is a 15/10, what a trooper.

The kid actor deserves all the awards just for that seizure scene - I actually gasped! Flooded with tears right now, what a great and heartbreaking little story. Making the videos for the little brother, five years being a “long time”, I would hope I would handle such terrible news with so much grace.

To tell a child they're dying and make him smile is really special

When Sarah cried, I lost it. It reminds you that while medical professionals may seem composed on the outside, they feel such strong empathy and powerlessness that they, too, break down when delivering such horrendous news. I can't imagine how terrible that must be.

A lot of adults/teens fear death. From what I have seen personally, a lot of kids don't. They fear pain and their parents getting hurt. Losing the ones around them. It's cause the kids just live in the moment. They don't care what the future holds too much. Dreams are different. They would even say, it's okay I can still play doctor/police with my toys then. As we grow older we start fearing things. It is why we consider kids as pure and innocent souls. This kid is ready to just leave future in the future and just live in the present times. Calm and collected. He doesn't fear the unknown.

We have made all these incredible medical advances and yet we still can't cure the worst of our illnesses.

Calling 5 years a 'long time' is very heartbreaking.

Goddamn, The kid is A warrior. The guy accept his fate.

I love that idea of taking videos. First, on the clinical side, it helps to show practitioners what the beginning stages might look like, especially if photos and video are taken later with patient and family consent. Second, on the personal side, it gives the parents and the family a look back on who the person was and who they are currently, even if little brother might not understand it at the time.

If only there were more real Dr's like Dr Charles! He has such patience and understanding, which most actual Dr's just don't seem to have anymore. I know he's a character, but there is such a truth to his acting.