On a Saturday morning, just one week away from Christmas day, six-year-old George Mackie awoke to find that outside his window a blanket of snow covered the ground. He couldn't wait to go and wake his nine-year-old sister and go outside to build a snowman with her. Dora had been up for over a half-hour already, she wanted to be ready and able to go play with her brother.

Being not so well, Dora couldn't stay out very long, she got tired very quickly, so George had to finish building the snowman he and Dora had started, all by himself. Dora watched from her bedroom and George, having seen his sister look out from her window, lay in the snow and made a snow angel.

It was nearly time for Dora's hospital visit. This visit would be a little different than all the previous visits, for this visit is as much to see George as it is to see Dora for Dora might need help from George to get better.

George and his dad waited outside the doctor's office, Dora and her mum had already gone inside. A cleaning lady down the hall spotted the little boy watching her, she waved up at him and George waved back. The office door opened, and dad took George by the hand to lead him into the office while George continued to wave at the lady down the hall until he could not see her anymore.

To George, the doctor looked a little scary. He was so enormous sitting behind his desk, and his voice, when he spoke, was the deepest voice George has ever heard. George sat on a chair in between the chairs his parents were sitting on.

'Where is Dora?' George asked.

The doctor replied that Dora was with some of the nurses getting her treatment, but as for right now, the doctor had something important to ask George.

The doctor continued to tell George that his sister was very ill. George asked if his sister would be alright and as to if she might go to heaven soon. The doctor said that he would not tell a lie. It is possible that Dora might not get better, but he had something to ask of George. There might be something that could make all the difference for Dora.

There may just be something inside of George that Dora would need to make her better. The doctor asked if he could check and see, and if George had got what his sister needed, they would like to take some of it and give it to her. So, the question for George was as to if it is alright to check him to see if he had what Dora needed and if he did would it be alright to take some and give it to Dora. George hesitated for only a moment or two before saying that it would definitely be OK.

So, it was on Christmas Eve when both George and Dora were readied for an operation. They held hands for a moment before it was time for surgery. George awoke early on Christmas morning. He was groggy but after a moment or so he asked his parents if he had what Dora needed. They smiled and told him that he did. Then George asked if Dora would be alright. She would be alright as everything went really well. George had just one more question, before he could ask it a tear rolled down his cheek.

'Why are you so sad?' asked his mum.

'I am happy Dora will be alright... But… How long will it be until I die?'

This made his mum begin to cry. When George had been asked if it was alright to be checked for what his sister would need, his slight hesitation in giving his answer was his thoughts of swapping his own life to save his sister’s. The doctor and George's parents had failed to inform George that he was at no time in any danger.

Once the misunderstanding was all sorted out it was time to tell George, and Dora when she awoke, that Santa had come the night before and even though they were all in the hospital, they still had their presents, it was now time to celebrate their very own Christmas miracle.