From That Old Green Park Bench

The head of the nurse began to lower while the doctor leaned on the table----now with his head lowered, also. I knew then, it was over. In a last attempt to revive the tiny baby, the doctor began flicking the bottom of the baby's feet with his forefinger, to no avail. As he raised his head and turned around to give the mother the horrible news, the baby wiggled one of its toes with a weak hollow whimper.

"OK, let's try it again." said the doctor.

"Oh my God!" yelled out the mother! "Oh dear God, please let him live!"

The mother's facial expressions all changed in an instant. From urgent despair to an overwhelming feeling of hope and joy! As the doctor repeated the same routine, I could again see that the baby was lifeless. Another crucial minute and a half had just gone by. Still the baby lay silent and the mother's positive expressions disappeared as fast as they manifested, replaced by the look of panic and horror. The doctor quickly grabbed the infant's tiny ankles and lifted him up all in one motion and firmly slapped the baby's behind. This time the baby let out a boisterous cry that repeated with every breath the tiny lungs took in. His chest began expanding while gasping for air with every holler as the doctor held him in his arms.

I will remember the look on the mother's face forever. Her exuberant tears flowed endlessly with relief while she continued to praise God. The nurse was holding her hand tightly over her mouth in disbelief and her whole body shook with every burst of tears that where impossible to hold back. Even the doctor covered his reddened eyes with his right hand as he cradled the baby against his body with his left. Though I had lost the ability to shed tears, I felt everything in my heart-filled soul and will remember it all forever. The weeping doctor took away his right hand exposing his matured face laden with perspiration. He wore an expression of total relief and gratefulness as he handed the crying baby over to his weeping mother.

"Oh, by the way---it's a boy" he said with a humorous chuckle. And with that the mother and nurse both laughed and cried openly in front of one another with incomparable joy!

Chapter 5

Our Last Days at the Hospital

From experiencing the birth of that child in the delivery room, that night, I felt very close to Stephanie's new son. The baby weighed in just under six pounds. He showed no signs of drug addiction or disease except for a little jaundice. Stephanie wanted to hold the baby while she lay in her bed, but the hospital decided to keep both separate and under close observation for a couple of days. Stephanie and I knew that God had His hand in this special birth. She later told a visitor she wanted to name her son, Adam, because he gave her "new life."

"This is the only thing that will give you new life!" replied the visitor while tossing a little white packet on her lap.

"No more drugs!" replied Stephanie. "I have a son to take care of !"

Stephanie's faith in God grew stronger and she agreed to continue the drug rehabilitation program that the hospital put her on during her ten-day stay there. During that time she had only two other visitors and neither one looked to be a healthy influence to her or her baby. I've seen users all too often "dry out" while in the program, only to give in to the strong temptation of their environment after recovery. I didn't want the same things to happen to that baby that happened to many other children brought up in the midst of crime, violence, and drug abuse.