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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 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. But the head nurse recognized him as a child and
bellowed, "Get that kid out 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. 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. |
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