HoboOfTheHwy
Expert Expediter
' You are My Sunshine, My only Sunshine' (Be prepared to get
watery eyes!)
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 be
a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael
sang to his sister in mommy's tummy. He was building a
bond of love with his little sister before he even met
her. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an
active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist
Church in Morristown , Tennessee
In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every
five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious
complications
arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of
labor.
Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long
struggle,
Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very
serious
condition.
With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed
the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's
Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days inched by. The little
girl
got worse. The pediatrician had to tell 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 house
for their new baby but now they found themselves
having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept
begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want
to sing to her, he kept saying. Week two in intensive
care looked as if a funeral would come before the week
was over.
Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister,
but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen
decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not.
If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never
see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub
suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking
laundry
basket.
The head nurse recognized him as a child and
bellowed, 'Get that kid out of here now. No children
are allowed.' The mother rose up strong in Karen, and
the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right
into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. 'He
is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated. Then
Karen
towed Michael to his sister's bedside.
He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to
live. After a moment, 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 seemed
to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and
become steady. 'Keep on singing, Michael,' encouraged
Karen with tears in her eyes. 'You never know, dear,
how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine
away.' As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's
ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a
kitten's purr. 'Keep on singing, sweetheart.' 'The
other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held
you in my arms'. Michael's little sister began to
relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.
'Keep on singing, Michael.' Tears had now conquered
the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. 'You
are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take
my sunshine away...'
The next day...the very next day...the little 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.
LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.
Life is good.
In God We Trust
watery eyes!)
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 be
a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael
sang to his sister in mommy's tummy. He was building a
bond of love with his little sister before he even met
her. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an
active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist
Church in Morristown , Tennessee
In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every
five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious
complications
arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of
labor.
Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long
struggle,
Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very
serious
condition.
With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed
the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's
Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days inched by. The little
girl
got worse. The pediatrician had to tell 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 house
for their new baby but now they found themselves
having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept
begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want
to sing to her, he kept saying. Week two in intensive
care looked as if a funeral would come before the week
was over.
Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister,
but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen
decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not.
If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never
see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub
suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking
laundry
basket.
The head nurse recognized him as a child and
bellowed, 'Get that kid out of here now. No children
are allowed.' The mother rose up strong in Karen, and
the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right
into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. 'He
is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated. Then
Karen
towed Michael to his sister's bedside.
He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to
live. After a moment, 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 seemed
to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and
become steady. 'Keep on singing, Michael,' encouraged
Karen with tears in her eyes. 'You never know, dear,
how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine
away.' As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's
ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a
kitten's purr. 'Keep on singing, sweetheart.' 'The
other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held
you in my arms'. Michael's little sister began to
relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.
'Keep on singing, Michael.' Tears had now conquered
the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. 'You
are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take
my sunshine away...'
The next day...the very next day...the little 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.
LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.
Life is good.
In God We Trust
