|
|
|
|
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3 year old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in Mommy's tummy.
The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist church in Morristown, TN. Then the labor pains come. Every five minutes.....every minute. But complications arose during delivery. Hours of labor. Would a C-section be required?
Finally, Michael's little sister was born, but she was in serious condition. With sirens howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's hospital in Knoxville, TN.
The days inched by. The baby girl's condition steadily grew worse. The pediatric specialist told the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst."
Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby and now they planned a funeral. Michael kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. "I want to sing to her," he insisted.
Week two in intensive care. It looks as if a funeral will come before the week is over. Michael continued to nag his grieving parents about singing to his sister but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Finally Karen made up her mind. She was going to take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he didn't see his baby sister now, he would probably never see her alive.
She drove to the hospital, dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognized him as a child and bellows, "Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed!"
The mother instincts rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered young woman glared steel-eyed into the head nurse's face, her lips forming a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his baby sister!" Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live, and he began to sing. In the pure hearted voice of a 3 year old, Michael sang: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray - - -"
Instantly the baby girl responded. The pulse rate became calm and steady. "Keep on singing, Michael."
"You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away- - -"
The ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr. "Keep on singing, Michael."
"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms..." Michael's little sister relaxed as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. "Keep on singing, Michael."
Tears conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glows.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away."
Funeral plans were scrapped. The next day - - - the very next day, the tiny infant girl was well enough to go home!
Woman's Day Magazine called it "the miracle of a brother's song". The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love!
NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. Send this to all the people that have touched your life.
