Here is the file, which required a lot of reformatting. I didn't track the changes, but you can easily see them, particularly the introduction.<br /><br />Here is the text in case you have any trouble with the attached file.<br /><br />
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Although all of the following situations are different, they all elicit a common feeling that unifies every one of us: the hurt in the pit of our stomachs when we hear the word&mdash;<em>cancer</em>&mdash;whether it is our friend&rsquo;s parent or relative or a teacher here at General McLane Hospital.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When he walked out of Sacred Heart Hospital for the last time, J.D. said something that I identified with: &ldquo;I guess it&rsquo;s because we all want to believe that what we do is important that people hang on our every word and that they care what we think, but the truth is that you should consider yourself lucky if you even occasionally get to make someone, anyone, feel a little better.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What J.D. said hit home with me. I remember in the fourth grade when each of the elementary schools went to Edinboro University&rsquo;s swimming pool. I asked my teacher, Mr. Gill, if I could sideline it for the day because I didn&rsquo;t know how to swim and the word on the street was that Mikey Allison was going to wear a speedo. Nevertheless, the empathy that Mr. Gill radiated during our conversation has always stuck with me. General McLane, and our grade especially, has had to cope with hard situations.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All of these situations are different, but when you hear about a loss, whether it is a teammate&rsquo;s parent, your lab partner&rsquo;s relative, or even your friend&rsquo;s pet, it is still a <em>loss</em>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At General McLane, we cope with these losses and empathize as a community, which gives us an edge in the real world. Throughout these four years, we have chosen to be empathetic, even though no one forced us to care.</p>
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now that I am leaving General McLane, I think it is important to make a conscious effort to always care because that is what got us through to this point. We have to realize that every person in this world is cripplingly sad about something, and empathy isn&rsquo;t always the easiest option. In fact, most people I have close relationships with do not always express their empathy in the most obvious ways. But I still listen carefully, as people speak from the heart more than you might think.</p>
<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; My advice to you is the same advice that Mrs. Thompson ends her class each day before her students leave: &ldquo;Have a great day, you guys, and do something nice for someone else.&rdquo;</p>