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 find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his sister in Mommy’s tummy.

The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. Then the labor pains come. Every five minutes every minute. But Complications arise during delivery. Hours of labor. Would a C-section be required? Finally, Michael’s little sister is born. But she is in serious condition. With siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The days inch by. The little girl gets worse. The pediatric specialist tells the parents, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.” Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot. They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby — now they plan a funeral.

Michael, keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, “I want to sing to her,” he says. Week two in intensive care. It looks as if a funeral will come before the week is over. Michael keeps nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. But Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like it or not.

If he doesn’t see his sister now, he may never see her alive. She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit and marches him into ICU. He looks like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and bellows, “Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed.” The mother rises up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glares steel-eyed into the head nurse’s face, her lips a firm line. “He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!” Karen tows Michael to his sister’s bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing. In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings:

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray — ”

Instantly the baby girl responds. The pulse rate becomes calm and steady.

Keep on singing, Michael. “You never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away — ” The ragged, strained breathing becomes 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 relaxes as rest, healing rest, seems to sweep over her.

Keep on singing, Michael. Tears conquer the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glows. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don’t, take my sunshine away.”

Funeral plans are scrapped. The next, day — the very next day — the little girl is 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.

像其他的好媽媽一樣，當卡倫發現自己又懷孕了時，她就盡力幫她三歲的兒子，邁克爾，做好準備迎接這個新生兒的到來。他們知道了這是個女孩，于是，日復一日，一夜又一夜，邁克爾趴在媽媽肚子上為他的小妹妹唱歌。

作為田納西州莫里森市Panther Creek United衛理公會教堂很活躍的一員，卡倫的懷孕期進展正常。接著產前陣痛就來臨了。每5分鐘一次……每分鐘一次。但在分娩過程中出現了并發癥，陣痛持續了幾個小時。是不是需要剖腹產?終于，邁克爾的小妹妹降生了。但她的情況很嚴重。伴著晚上警報器的鳴叫聲，救護車把嬰兒送到田納西州諾克斯維爾市的圣瑪麗醫院，新生兒重病特護區。

日子一天天過去了。女嬰的情況愈來愈糟。小兒科專家告訴這對父母：“希望非常渺茫。請做好最壞的打算吧。”卡倫和她的丈夫聯系了當地一家公墓，安排了葬禮的計劃。他們在家里布置好了一間特別的嬰兒房——現在卻要計劃一個葬禮。

邁克爾一直乞求父母讓他進去看看小妹妹：“我想唱歌給她聽，”他說。這是重病特護的第二周了。看來好像到不了這周結束葬禮就要來臨了。邁克爾不斷地纏著要給小妹妹唱歌聽，然而重病特護區不允許兒童入內。不過卡倫下定了決心，不管他們愿不愿意，她都要帶邁克爾進去。

如果現在他看不到他的小妹妹，就再也沒機會見到她了。她為兒子穿了一身特大型的洗刷服，帶他走進重點護理組。他看起來就像一個行走的洗衣籃，不過護士長認出這是一個孩子，她吼道：“馬上帶那個孩子離開這兒!禁止小孩入內。”卡倫的母性變得堅強起來，這位平日里溫柔的女士用堅毅的目光盯著護士長的臉，堅定地說：“他不會離開的，除非給他妹妹唱首歌。”卡倫拉著邁克爾走到他小妹妹的床前。他盯著這個不再為生存而掙扎的小嬰兒，開始唱歌。用三歲孩子單純的心聲，邁克爾唱道：

“你是我的陽光，惟一的陽光，當天空灰暗你能使我快樂——

女嬰立刻有了反應。脈搏跳動變得平靜而穩定。

邁克爾一直在唱著：“親愛的，你從來不知道我有多么愛你。請不要帶走我的陽光——”不規則的、緊張的呼吸變得如小貓的呼嚕聲那般安穩。

邁克爾繼續唱著：“親愛的，那天晚上當我睡著，我夢到我把你抱在懷中……”他的小妹妹仿佛在休息般地放松下來了，復原般的休息，似乎在她身上擴展開來。

邁克爾還在唱著。淚水在護士長的臉上肆意流著。卡倫變得容光煥發。“你使我的陽光，惟一的陽光。請別帶走我的陽光。”

葬禮計劃取消了。第二天——就在第二天——女嬰就好起來，可以回家了!

《婦女日》雜志稱之為“哥哥歌唱的奇跡”。醫護人員說這就是一個奇跡。卡倫說它是上帝之愛的奇跡。

決不要放棄你所愛的人。愛的力量其大無比。生命是美好的。

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