by Kathryn Garland Obenshain
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. 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 ondition. 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 pediatric specialist
regretfully 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 home for the 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
made up her mind, though. She would 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. But 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!"
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 grey."
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.