During one of the worst...
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During one of the worst blizzards of the winter I received a phone call from one of my parishioners. Ten-year-old Michael Thomas had knocked himself out when he fell, head first, from the top bunk of his bed onto the hardwood floor. His parents had rushed him to our small community health center. I joined them about ten minutes later.
Five hours later, Michael still had not regained consciousness. The decision was made to transport him by ambulance to a large children's hospital. Although his condition warranted using air transportation, the visibility was so bad that it was not an option. When Michael, accompanied by a full medical team, was loaded into an ambulance, I made a phone call to the chairperson of our prayer chain committee. "Pray for Michael and for safe travel for the ambulance and ourselves," I asked. Then I rushed back to the ICU just in time to offer another prayer and accompany Michael to the ambulance.
I traveled with Michael's parents to the children's hospital. Visibility was so bad that we could not see the markings on the road. If it hadn't been for the snowbanks left by the snowplow we wouldn't have been able to tell where the road ended and the ditch began. While his father drove, Michael's mom and I silently prayed for Michael's health and for a safe trip for the ambulance and us. Occasionally Michael's mom or dad would say, "I wonder how Michael is?" Once his dad said, "I wish I could see where I was going." It was at that exact moment that a pocket of visibility appeared in the storm. For a brief moment we saw a cross, high up on a well-lit steeple. It was like an answer to our prayers.
-- Conroy
Five hours later, Michael still had not regained consciousness. The decision was made to transport him by ambulance to a large children's hospital. Although his condition warranted using air transportation, the visibility was so bad that it was not an option. When Michael, accompanied by a full medical team, was loaded into an ambulance, I made a phone call to the chairperson of our prayer chain committee. "Pray for Michael and for safe travel for the ambulance and ourselves," I asked. Then I rushed back to the ICU just in time to offer another prayer and accompany Michael to the ambulance.
I traveled with Michael's parents to the children's hospital. Visibility was so bad that we could not see the markings on the road. If it hadn't been for the snowbanks left by the snowplow we wouldn't have been able to tell where the road ended and the ditch began. While his father drove, Michael's mom and I silently prayed for Michael's health and for a safe trip for the ambulance and us. Occasionally Michael's mom or dad would say, "I wonder how Michael is?" Once his dad said, "I wish I could see where I was going." It was at that exact moment that a pocket of visibility appeared in the storm. For a brief moment we saw a cross, high up on a well-lit steeple. It was like an answer to our prayers.
-- Conroy
