You Are My Sunshine

You Are My Sunshine

Let me tell you a story – a true story.

“Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Michael, prepare for his new sister.

“Night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy's tummy.  He was building a bond of love with his little sister even then, while the pregnancy progressed normally.

“In time, the labor pains came.  Serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in labor for hours.  Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born.  But she was in a very critical life-and-death struggle. 

“With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, in Knoxville, Tennessee.  The days inched by.  The little girl’s condition worsened.  The pediatrician had to tell the parents “there is very little hope.  Be prepared for the worst.”  Karen and her husband called a local cemetery about a burial plot.

“Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. “I want to sing to her,” he kept saying.  Unfortunately children were not allowed in the Intensive Care unit.

Finally, Karen decided to take Michael to see his sister whether they liked it or not.  If he didn't see his sister soon, he may never see her alive.  So she dressed him in an over-sized scrub suit and marched him into ICU.  

“The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, "Get that kid out of here, now!  No children are allowed."

“The mother instinct rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared right into the face of the head nurse, her lips a firm line.

"He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!"   Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside.

“Michael, staring wide-eyed, gazed at his infant sister, fighting for her life.  After a moment, he began to sing, in the pure-hearted voice of a three-year-old.

   "You are my sunshine,

   My only sunshine,

   You make me happy

   When skies are gray."

“His baby sister began responding.  Her pulse rate began to calm down and stabilize.

“Keep 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, her 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 began to relax as healing rest seemed to sweep over her.

"Keep on singing, Michael."

“Tears had now conquered the face of the 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 ... Michael’s sister was 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.

I call it Connection:  One human being connecting with another in love.  I think this story points out the importance of the human factor in healing. 

If you would like to read more on this subject, click on this link - 

The Healing Sound of Music

(You Are My Sunshine was originally written by Oliver Hood.  Latter Jimmie Davis, former governor of Louisiana and country singing legend, bought the lyric and attached his own name to it.)

P.S.  If you know of someone who might be encouraged by this story, please forward it to them.  Thank you.

P Michael Biggs

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