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. She 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.