The CEO Panicked Without a French Translator – Until the Janitor’s Daughter Took Charge and…
Chapter 10: A Legacy of Love
Six months later, the auditorium of the newly renovated Duboce Children’s Hospital in Lyon, France, was filled to capacity.
Sophie Rodriguez Duboce, now eight years old, stood confidently at the podium.
“Bonjour Mesdames et Messieurs,”
she began, her voice clear and strong.
“My name is Sophie, and I want to tell you a story about miracles.”
In the front row, Carlos sat with tears streaming down his face. Beside him, Michael Harrison fidgeted nervously, still amazed by the child who had become his closest partner.
“Six months ago,”
Sophie continued,
“I was just a little girl whose mama had gone to heaven and whose papa worked very hard to take care of me. I thought miracles only happened in fairy tales and Bible stories.”
She paused, scanning the audience.
“But then I learned that miracles happen every day when people choose to use their gifts to help others instead of just helping themselves.”
Sophie gestured toward a group of children in wheelchairs near the front.
“Today, this hospital represents something bigger than advanced technology or large investments. It represents what happens when we stop asking ‘how much can I get?’ and start asking ‘how much can I give?'”
She concluded:
“Remember that miracles aren’t rare magical events. Miracles happen every time someone chooses compassion over competition, every time someone sees potential instead of problems, and every time someone decides that other people’s happiness matters as much as their own.”
As she stepped back, she added one final thought with a mischievous smile:
“Oh, and one more thing. If anyone ever tells you that you’re too small to make a big difference, just remember that I was seven years old when I helped change the world. Size doesn’t matter when your heart is big enough.”
Later that evening, as Sophie sat in her father’s lap overlooking the lights of Lyon, she asked quietly:
“Papa, do you think Mama would be proud of what we did?”
Carlos held his daughter close, his heart overflowing.
“Mija, your mama isn’t just proud. She’s absolutely radiating with joy in heaven, knowing that her little girl took all the love she gave you and multiplied it into love for the whole world.”
