Sunday, April 20, 2014

The Easter Miracle

The doctor had just left the room. As she lay on the cot in her son's ICU room silent tears streamed down her cheeks. She allowed herself only a moment of self pity; only a moment of weakness. In time her anger would surface. Until then, she lay on the cot praying for help.

Three year old Billy lay in the hospital crib with the high bars on each side. At home, he was sleeping in a big boy bed. His daddy was gone and his mommy was just told he had meningitis. Over the next couple weeks, Billy would go from bad to worse. 

Rooms in the ICU began to fill. A 60 year old woman, a cardiac patient, was admitted to intensive care because of the overflow in the cardiac unit. The doctor just left her room. Her daughters were just told here was no medical reason for their Mama to be in a coma. It was a mild heart attack, not much damage to the heart muscle.

There are rules to any intensive care unit. Only immediate family may visit. Visits are only for ten minutes at the beginning of the hour, unless the nurse your decides it is in the patient's best interests to have the patient's family visit a bit longer. Billy's mother had visiting hours at any time. She was also allowed to stay with him. But there are times when even mommies were not able to stay in an ICU room. Sometimes the patient and his nurses had to be alone. And during those times Billy's mommy and the woman's daughters would spend time together in the unit's waiting room. The exchanged to progress of both patients. Christmas was just around the corner and this was not what anyone had planned in way of a celebration. 

Shouting was coming to Billy's room. The sisters thought the worst. Going to the door, the older sister was ready to comfort the child's mother. They heard her saying, "Get out! Stay away from him! I will never give up on him. My God will never give up on him!" As the sister reached the door, she saw a priest slinking by. The sisters took the weary mother out to the waiting room. She told the sisters the doctors had told her Billy had severe bacterial meningitis. If Billy survived, and they were very doubtful he wouldn't, he wouldn't walk, he'd be deaf, dumb and blind. The doctor had suggested a priest come in and speak with Billy's mother. When the priest came in, he'd only told her it was God's will her son die and began last rites.

A week had gone by. The sister's mama was still in a coma. She still had not stirred. Billy was showing signs of improvement. The woman passed the following day. The doctor wanted the cause of death to be, a broken heart. Billy was taken off the ventilator the same day, breathing on his own. 

The older sister stayed close to the young mother. Billy had been released from the hospital. He couldn't walk, talk, ear or speak, but he was home. Billy and his mommy would visit the older sister often. He'd lay on the floor next to the sister's collie. Midge seemed to know there was something special about Billy. He would poke her in the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Midge would lay there next to him, her paw always touching him. 

A little over a year later, just before Easter, Billy was enrolled in a school for the deaf.  He could see. He could walk. He was talking! He was still deaf, but with all those other Easter miracles, not a soul seemed to mind.



Sunday, April 6, 2014

Harold

I recently purchased a book entitled 642 Thing to Write About. Basically, it's a book of 642 writing prompts for young writers. I am not young, but love to write.

I had decided not to do prompts in the order they are given in the book. I let the book fall open, close my eyes and point. Today's writing idea: Write a poem about a bird that is afraid of heights.

Harold was a very special bird.
His song could always be heard.

He spent most of his days by the pond
In the park which he was so fond.

When approached he never took flight
Because poor Harold was afraid of the height.