Sing Michael Sing
>
>You are My Sunshine, My only Sunshine" (Be prepared to get watery
>eyes!)
>
>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. I
>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.