It's hard to imagine the emotional weight of working in pediatric oncology back then, when outcomes were so bleak
My father knew a neurosurgeon in the 70s(?), when the outcome statistics were pretty bleak.
He asked him how he handled it, and the guy said "Because the few that I save wouldn't be, if we didn't do anything."
Sometimes, greater than zero is the win.
I don't fully understand how he did it. I know he took a lot from the line in the Talmud that said "whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world."
My mom says that his baseline was incredibly high and that he was incredibly resilient. He also had a big rebellious streak, an analytical mind, and endless compassion.