LOVE CONQUERS ALL

Love conquers all

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. 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 made up her mind, though. She would 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 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!"

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.