At 6:15 p.m. things were looking very bad for Emily. She was again bleeding , her heart monitor was giving unstable readings, the blood gases were bad (oxygen levels were terrible!) Emily was struggling to breathe . The doctor called the entire family back to ICU where the room next to Emily’s had been curtained off except for the glass wall between the rooms. The doctors then explained how bad things were, told the family that it was only a matter of minutes before she would code (her heart would stop) and they needed to know what Aaron and Becky wanted them to do. Did they want them to use the paddles or let her go. They told Aaron , Becky, and the two ministers in the room with them and Emily , that it was no longer necessary for them to wear their masks and they suggested that Becky climb up in the bed with her and hold her. She did and began to stroke her head, kiss her little face, Aaron and Becky told her how much they loved her. All hearts were breaking into.

Several doctors and nurses were at the nurses station watching the monitors when suddenly one of them came rushing to Emily’s door…”Whatever your doing, don’t stop…don’t stop”. Another Dr. ran in with equipment to draw blood. Emily’s little eyes opened, she saw her Mommie and Daddy and gave ever so sweet a smile.

The rest of the family was moved to a room outside of the ICU where waiting seemed like an eternity. Then a woman doctor appeared in the door, her radiant smile spoke before she did. “Well, it looks like some one else is in charge here!” She said. Emily’s heart had stabilized, her breathing was normal, her temperature had came down in just a matter of minutes, her blood gases were better than they had been since she was admitted! The bleeding had stopped. The doctor said, ” If her heart gives out now, we’re going for it!…we now have something to work with!”

Was this a miracle? What do you think?

Mary poyner@airmail.net (Received on Sunday June 9, 2002)