We have already written a leading article about the impressive performance that Malta put in to raise money for the needy in the Strina campaign.

We will say it again, well done to all of us. But today, we will touch on another aspect of health and the needy. On Wednesday, President George Abela and Health Minister Joe Cassar paid a visit to the children’s wards at Mater Dei Hospital. We carried the story and put a picture on the front page, under the header ‘Brave kiddies’.

And we would like to touch on this in more detail. As we get older, the ravages of time take their toll on our bodies. Virtually everyone we know has a friend or relative that is affected by infirmity, illness or disability. They all deserve our help, support and love. But to see tiny children, some of them very, very ill in hospital – especially at this time of the year – tugs on the heartstrings.

What is amazing is that despite the severe illnesses which affect some of the little patients, despite the tubes, despite the baldness; they continue to smile. It is an amazing feat of human nature in that while desperately ill at such a young age, these brave little battlers always manage a smile.

They always manage to play and to interact and most of them worry about their parents’ sadness a lot more than they do about their own illness. With the great strides humankind has made in medicine and treatment, a good portion of them can be saved and can go on to live relatively normal lives.

But others have to suffer for years. Others do not respond to treatment and they sadly pass on to the next world. But we should look at them all and we should look at them as a source of inspiration rather than pity them or cry for them.

The President is big on charity. He believes in it and is very active in the sphere. This publishing house would like to put forward a proposal to the President’s Office. We would like to see the setting up of an award(s) for ill children who continue to fight for life and to try and live as best they can. We would like to see it awarded on the same day and in the same ceremony as the highest gongs, such as Gieh ir-Repubblika. We believe that while there are many brave people deserving of such bestowed awards, children deserve it more. We are sure that the President will agree and we invite him to explore the idea.