Welcome Home Emily
My community had a scare recently. One of its’ children, one of my students – age 10- suffered a cardiac arrest while on the playground at school. She had a pre-existing heart condition and the arrest had been a looming possiblity, but having it actually happen was frightening for all who were connected to her in some way.
Before I continue, rest assured that she is home now and recovering.
My student, after having arrived at the hospital spent three days in and out of a drug induced coma in order to give her body a chance to rest and to heal. She had to fight through respiratory distress and pneumonia during this time. Doctors were afraid of how the episode and lack of oxygen may have affected her neurological function but once she was alert and speaking (and after an MRI) that fear was put to rest. We had her back completely but with a huge fight ahead of her including heart surgery.
By this time, with a hospital transfer and surgery booked, my girls choir “The Cantabilettes” (which I run with a friend) was perparing for our upcoming spring concert. My student is also a choir member and the girls were feeling pretty low and none of us were very excited about performing while one of our members was fighting for her life. We all wanted to help but felt pretty helpless. My student too was experiencing a low as she began to understand what she had been through and what was to come.
The choir decided that we should turn our concert into a benefit to support our friend. We had less than a week to contact her school, find a venue, get the word out and polish up our repertoire. We ended up adding a bake sale to our concert and were overwhelmed by the generosity of the community. Many volunteered their time and came to help set up or man the tables, many brought baked goods to donate, some volunteered their talent to add to our line-up of entertainment. Others brought flowers or offered to help with clean-up. In the end we were able to raise over $1600 to be shared by three organizations that had helped my student through her crisis: The Heart and Stroke Foundation, Ronald McDonald House and The Pediatric Critical Care Unit in London.
When news of the turn-out and details of the event reached the young girl who awaited heart surgery, she was filled with renewed strength to continue the fight to get well….and fight she did. She endured not one but two surgeries within 4 days of eachother. Imagine my surprise when just 36 hours after the second surgery I drove by her house to see her standing on the front lawn with her parents! I can’t describe the shock and relief that overcame me. After teary hugs and a short visit I couldn’t help but marvel at her speedy recovery. There is still some recovery time ahead, but she is home!
How can a young girl who has been through so much have been standing in front of me with a smile on her face, pink in her cheeks so soon after surgery? Only by the power of a community’s prayer, God’s divine mercy and the strength of one little girl who refused to let anything keep her down for long. I, for one, am inspired by her strength and courage.
Welcome home Em!