Tuesday, February 19, 2008

JJ Has An Unexpected Visitor

Long ago when I was a student nurse our university hospital system did not then have a suitable Pediatric setting so we went to NYC to Babies Hospital for "affiliation" for three months of study and clinical in Peds.
It was quite an experience for us young Southerners in that bustle and hustle.At that time there were no Intensive Care Units.On one floor a smaller section of three beds was used for that purpose.
In one of those beds was an 8 month little boy abandoned three months earlier by his family following post surgical problems which left him with a severe infection.He was needless to say,a favorite of all the nurses.Everyone tried to spend time holding him and rocking him when there was a spare moment.We knew he was dying but he was quite the little fighter and cuddled up at any chance.He had lived two months longer than expected.
For three mornings as things were becoming more and more grim,the night staff were quite excited.It seems a little woman who must have been his grandmother came in for two or so hours and held JJ, rocking and singing to him.We were so happy that he had a visitor.
Around noon that third day, my classmate rushed out to tell me that his visitor had come and was reading him a story.I was going in to speak to her to tell her how much we appreciated her being there for him.When we went in she looked up,smiled and disapearred.Not only had she vanished but JJ was back in his bed with his IV fluids
hooked back up on the bed,not the rocking chair.
No one believed us of course.The Doctor said we were "Little Southern Goodie Two Shoes wanting things to be better,so it was a good imagination." JJ died within the hour.An old worn Bible was in the rocking chair....

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Whether you imagined it or not, it was a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing!