Stay with your kid. Send a bottle of champagne for the dinner.

Anonymous wrote:Your child comes first.

This

Child must come first always.

Focus on your child first. Make plans with your friend for a later date. You can spend quality 1:1 time with her and you won’t be stressed about your kid. Send flowers/gift for her birthday for now.

Your kid is ill. You must prioritize the kid.

She also has 8 other people to keep her company.

Do you see friend regularly? If so, I think you could let her know what's going on and say you'll do a celebration together when you get back.

I am sorry about your child OP. That sounds so scary and it must be terrifying for your child. For that reason and other reasons, to me there is no question here. Stay with your child. Your kids come first and any friend who does not understand this is not a good person.

Your child comes first.

Kids have a 4 day weekend so we are 2 hours from home. Have a friend who lost her husband 18 mos ago and is having a birthday dinner with 9 of us and was planning to drive back to join and stay at home for a night then drive back. 10 yo however has been having huge panic attacks (yesterday and today) which is terrifying him. I want to be a good friend to her but also feels wrong to leave child in this circumstance right? Sorting out therapist for child for next week.