The previous post on skin to skin got me looking for this post someone
sent me in 1999 regarding a newborn baby struggling to live.  It is
apparently a true story.
Judy Ritchie

KEEP ON SINGING

             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, 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 complication's 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
pediatric specialist regretfully 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 home for the new
baby, but now they found them- sleves 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 dessed 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 level-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 purehearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You are my
sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey---"

             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.

              Please send this to all the people that have touched your
life in some way.

___________________________________________________________________

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