A photo of an ER doctor breaking down after the death of a 19-year-old patient is touching people around the world.
The image, which was posted to Reddit on Friday morning, shows the doctor crouched on the floor holding on to wall and offers an insight into the emotional strain placed on medical staff working in emergency rooms.
"The man pictured was unable to save one of his patients," explains NickMore911, who works as a paramedic and shared the heart-breaking image taken by his co-worker.
"Though this is a common occurrence in our field of work, the patients we lose are typically old, sick, or some combination of the two. The patient that died was 19 years old, and for him, it was one of those calls we get sometimes that just hits you.
"Within a few minutes, the doctor stepped back inside, holding his head high again."
One commenter, who has worked in ER for 11 years, wrote: "Some days it is really hard to remember why we do this job. I know exactly how the doc in the picture feels.
"The strange thing is, despite the picture showing such a dark moment and bringing back some distressing memories, it actually makes me feel happier about my career choice... What we do matters."
[H/T HuffPost Canada]