THE MIRACLE OF A BROTHER’S SONG .... (A True Story)
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 little 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 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 the 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 gray." Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond.
Her 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 hands..." 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! "Women'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.