LOVE

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 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 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 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.