You Are My Sunshine, My Only Sunshine
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 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. 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. The days inched by. The little girl got worse.
The pediatrician had to tell the parents to prepare for the worst, there was very little hope she would make
it. Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their 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. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids were not allowed in Intensive Care. Karen
decided to 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. 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,” she stated.
Then 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. Almost instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. Her 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 continued to relax, as 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 took a miraculous turn for the better. Before long she was able to go home with her big brother holding her hand. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of a brother's love.
