MamaCta!

Last year the C Family attended a free event called Children's Day at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital. My son saw something there that stuck in his mind a year later. Several weeks ago, while I was putting him to bed, he said, "Mom, do you remember those lungs?" I remembered exactly what he was talking about. The image was stuck in my mind, too.

The exhibit we saw last year held two sets of human lungs from cadavers. They were hanging upright, out in the open, right at eye level, dripping with stinky formaldehyde, a metal tray right under them to catch the drips. One set of lungs were large and pink. The other set of lungs were smaller and dark gray. (You can probably guess that the dark lungs were those of a deceased smoker.) The children were able to pump air into each lung using a hand pump. The healthy (although deceased) lungs expanded to a large size, while the smoker's lungs barely held air.

C1 was 4 years old at the time. He is now 5, and will probably always remember this image. That night, we discussed what we had seen last year, and our talk led to many related topics like: anatomy, healthy and unhealthy habits, smoking, cigarettes, (which he called 'smoking sticks') why people smoke, and why it is hard for people to stop. We even discussed death and cancer, as we recently had an uncle who smoked for many years pass away from lung cancer. My son's perspective of all these topics fascinated me, and I was surprised at how much he understood.

This event was free, but it sparked a priceless conversation with my child. I'm planning on attending this year, and for all of you who have never heard of this event, I would like to encourage you to attend. It is a great learning opportunity for the whole family. There are so many things for kids to do and see not to mention tons of free stuff! Here are the event details:

Children's Day at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital Wednesday May 14, 2008 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM

For more info: 1-800-825-KIDS

Recommended for ages 3-12

Register and pick-up bag of goodies at the registration tent

Groups of 20 or more by appointment only.

I highly recommend calling for more information, and I also suggest getting there right when it opens, as there will be HUNDREDS of kids later on. If you would like more info, I can email you the flier I received from Loma Linda that has specific parking instructions.

Hope to see you there!

Click here to read more about a past Children's Day at the LLUCH website.