Keep On Singing

An Inspirational Story ~~ Get the tissues ready, ladies!

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. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, then the labor pains came. Every five minutes ... every minute.

But complications arose during the delivery. After hours of intense labor a decision was made that a C-section would be required? Finally, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in serious condition. With sirens 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 pediatric specialist told the parents, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid there's very little hope. So please 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 home for the new baby - now they had to plan a funeral.

Michael, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he said. After week two in intensive care, it looked as if a funeral would become necessary before the week was over. Michael continued his nagging about wanting to sing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. But Karen made up her mind to forget about the rules -- she decided she would take Michael in to see his sister whether they liked it or not. If he couldn't see his sister at that moment of time, it was possible that he may never have been able to see her alive. Karen dressed Michael 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 in ICU."

The "mother" rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed 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 who quickly losing the battle to live. Michael began he begins 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. Her pulse rate became calm and steady. "Keep on singing, Michael," Karen said to Michael. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away." The infant's ragged and strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr.

"Keep on singing, Michael." "The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms ..." Michael's little sister relaxed as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. "Keep on singing, Michael," Karen said.

Tears conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't, take my sunshine away." That very day it became evident that, happily, funeral plans would have to be scrapped. 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.