Christmas Miracles
By Heidi M. Pascual
Do you believe in miracles? I do. I consider every little beautiful things happening around me as miracles. But these two events that recently
happened to me (and my family) on Christmas eve and Christmas Day are HUGE ones and for the record. And I'd like to share them with you,
whatever your faith is, and whether or not you believe in miracles.
On December 23, while every Filipino family was busy wrapping gifts and preparing menu items for Christmas eve, I was in the Emergency
Room (ER) of Fairview General Hospital along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City with my youngest son, Dennis, and his common-law wife,
Diana. You see, Diana is six-months pregnant, and at 11 p.m. we rushed her to the hospital for profuse bleeding. (My son John drove us to the
hospital in his van.) I knew in my heart that she was going to deliver her baby (my sixth grandchild) prematurely. Everyone present in the ER,
especially the attending physician and the nurses, were actually in that mode -- getting ready for a premature delivery -- as Diana's blood kept
on wetting the bed. She was trembling and too scared to talk while Dennis held her hand and kept on reassuring her that she'd be OK. "Relax,
Mommy," he kept repeating to her, but I watched my son going very pale as he was saying that. I was hoping against hope, especially when
the doctor told us that they will prioritize the life of the mother in situations like this. I was simply scared, and Dennis was, too. That meant
Diana, as well as her unborn baby, was in grave danger. They also called Diana's OB-Gyne for instructions. They put an IV on Diana and
interviewed my son. A little past midnight, Diana was wheeled to the Operating Room (OR) of the hospital, to prepare for an emergency
Caesarean operation if the bleeding did not stop. All I could do was pray silently and ask that Diana and her baby be safe. The hospital staff put
mother and child under monitoring devices as Dennis and I waited and waited and waited outside the OR.
Having not enough rest and to prepare for the much-awaited Christmas eve, I left Dennis at the hospital to monitor Diana's condition,
instructing him to keep me updated as often as possible. It was December 24, and my two other children and their families were all expecting
me to be with them. I also did not want to disappoint my grandchildren. They were expecting my gifts. And this Christmas was to be very
special to our clan because I have returned home to stay longer or for good. But when I arrived home from the hospital, all I could do was sit in
my room, cry and pray. I don't know how long I prayed, but I accomplished none of the things I was supposed to do for Christmas eve. My other
son John and his wife, Malou, who live next door, volunteered to prepare our food for Noche Buena, the traditional Filipino Christmas Eve
dinner, because they knew there was no way I could cook any dish at all after getting back from the hospital. I was tired and anxious, and in no
mood to stay in the kitchen. I ended up just sending them my marinated pork for barbecue, chickens for the afritada and macaroni salad, as
well as other ingredients. I'm sure they had to add a lot to make up for missing ingredients and other meats. My daughter Sherry, volunteered to
prepare the dessert, refrigerator cake. Later that afternoon, my grandchildren invaded my privacy and stayed with me in my bedroom. Some
played Monopoly, others watched a movie, and another played my keyboard. I guess their parents sent them to keep me company, away from
sad thoughts for a moment.
Then, Dennis called from the hospital. Diana was already in the private room and the bleeding had stopped! The baby's heartbeat was
strong! Mother and child were okay, although the monitoring would continue for the next day, and the next day, or until it was certain that no
premature birth was going to happen. I couldn't contain the joy in my heart for it was a miracle. I've been in Diana's situation before, so I was
really scared about the certainty of a premature birth in her case. But it didn't happen, despite the severity of her bleeding and the fact that her
cervix was already opened at 2 cm. I was afraid that my grandchild --Diana's and Dennis' first child together -- wouldn't survive. At a little more
than 6 months, it would require another big miracle and lots of funds (which we don't have) to keep the baby alive in an incubator for possibly
a month or so.
This wonderful news naturally created a happy and celebratory mood for our clan when Christmas Eve came. The photos below would
show how happy I was that night. We missed Dennis and Diana, but knowing their family would be fine was more than a gift to us. Sherry and I
later visited them (about midnight) in the hospital to cheer them up and deliver some food and their gifts.
Do you believe in miracles? I do. I consider every little beautiful things happening around me as miracles. But these two events that recently
happened to me (and my family) on Christmas eve and Christmas Day are HUGE ones and for the record. And I'd like to share them with you,
whatever your faith is, and whether or not you believe in miracles.
On December 23, while every Filipino family was busy wrapping gifts and preparing menu items for Christmas eve, I was in the Emergency
Room (ER) of Fairview General Hospital along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City with my youngest son, Dennis, and his common-law wife,
Diana. You see, Diana is six-months pregnant, and at 11 p.m. we rushed her to the hospital for profuse bleeding. (My son John drove us to the
hospital in his van.) I knew in my heart that she was going to deliver her baby (my sixth grandchild) prematurely. Everyone present in the ER,
especially the attending physician and the nurses, were actually in that mode -- getting ready for a premature delivery -- as Diana's blood kept
on wetting the bed. She was trembling and too scared to talk while Dennis held her hand and kept on reassuring her that she'd be OK. "Relax,
Mommy," he kept repeating to her, but I watched my son going very pale as he was saying that. I was hoping against hope, especially when
the doctor told us that they will prioritize the life of the mother in situations like this. I was simply scared, and Dennis was, too. That meant
Diana, as well as her unborn baby, was in grave danger. They also called Diana's OB-Gyne for instructions. They put an IV on Diana and
interviewed my son. A little past midnight, Diana was wheeled to the Operating Room (OR) of the hospital, to prepare for an emergency
Caesarean operation if the bleeding did not stop. All I could do was pray silently and ask that Diana and her baby be safe. The hospital staff put
mother and child under monitoring devices as Dennis and I waited and waited and waited outside the OR.
Having not enough rest and to prepare for the much-awaited Christmas eve, I left Dennis at the hospital to monitor Diana's condition,
instructing him to keep me updated as often as possible. It was December 24, and my two other children and their families were all expecting
me to be with them. I also did not want to disappoint my grandchildren. They were expecting my gifts. And this Christmas was to be very
special to our clan because I have returned home to stay longer or for good. But when I arrived home from the hospital, all I could do was sit in
my room, cry and pray. I don't know how long I prayed, but I accomplished none of the things I was supposed to do for Christmas eve. My other
son John and his wife, Malou, who live next door, volunteered to prepare our food for Noche Buena, the traditional Filipino Christmas Eve
dinner, because they knew there was no way I could cook any dish at all after getting back from the hospital. I was tired and anxious, and in no
mood to stay in the kitchen. I ended up just sending them my marinated pork for barbecue, chickens for the afritada and macaroni salad, as
well as other ingredients. I'm sure they had to add a lot to make up for missing ingredients and other meats. My daughter Sherry, volunteered to
prepare the dessert, refrigerator cake. Later that afternoon, my grandchildren invaded my privacy and stayed with me in my bedroom. Some
played Monopoly, others watched a movie, and another played my keyboard. I guess their parents sent them to keep me company, away from
sad thoughts for a moment.
Then, Dennis called from the hospital. Diana was already in the private room and the bleeding had stopped! The baby's heartbeat was
strong! Mother and child were okay, although the monitoring would continue for the next day, and the next day, or until it was certain that no
premature birth was going to happen. I couldn't contain the joy in my heart for it was a miracle. I've been in Diana's situation before, so I was
really scared about the certainty of a premature birth in her case. But it didn't happen, despite the severity of her bleeding and the fact that her
cervix was already opened at 2 cm. I was afraid that my grandchild --Diana's and Dennis' first child together -- wouldn't survive. At a little more
than 6 months, it would require another big miracle and lots of funds (which we don't have) to keep the baby alive in an incubator for possibly
a month or so.
This wonderful news naturally created a happy and celebratory mood for our clan when Christmas Eve came. The photos below would
show how happy I was that night. We missed Dennis and Diana, but knowing their family would be fine was more than a gift to us. Sherry and I
later visited them (about midnight) in the hospital to cheer them up and deliver some food and their gifts.
Me with my son John
Me with my daughter Sherry
| My son Dennis with Diana in the hospital |
(Above) With my grandchildren (L-R) Keli, Kyle, Sophie, and Marcus
With my grandchildren Aly (r) and Andrei
(Above, L-R) My daughter-in-law
Malou and Keli
Malou and Keli
Now, are you ready for another miracle in our
family , this time on Christmas Day?
I went back to the hospital in the afternoon of the
next day, December 25, to pay the required 70 percent
of the total hospital bill so far. I took a jeepney ride to
the hospital myself. Diana and Dennis were pretty
upbeat and certain they were getting out of the
hospital the following day, the 26th. We were even
laughing at my mistake of looking for my face towel
which, as Dennis pointed out, was hanging on my left
shoulder after all! I was in a happy mood as I left the
hospital and prepared to cross Commonwealth
Avenue to go back home.
family , this time on Christmas Day?
I went back to the hospital in the afternoon of the
next day, December 25, to pay the required 70 percent
of the total hospital bill so far. I took a jeepney ride to
the hospital myself. Diana and Dennis were pretty
upbeat and certain they were getting out of the
hospital the following day, the 26th. We were even
laughing at my mistake of looking for my face towel
which, as Dennis pointed out, was hanging on my left
shoulder after all! I was in a happy mood as I left the
hospital and prepared to cross Commonwealth
Avenue to go back home.
There was no
pedestrian crossing at
that particular spot, so I
knew I had to run fast
pedestrian crossing at
that particular spot, so I
knew I had to run fast
to reach the center island and avoid oncoming
vehicles. There was a man wearing a white
T-Shirt and off-white pants ahead of me by at least
two meters. Then IT HAPPENED! I tripped in the
middle of the street while running, fell face down,
and felt my left knee unable to move as sudden
cramping sensation began to scare me out of my
wits. "Mama, tulungan ninyo ako!" (Please help
vehicles. There was a man wearing a white
T-Shirt and off-white pants ahead of me by at least
two meters. Then IT HAPPENED! I tripped in the
middle of the street while running, fell face down,
and felt my left knee unable to move as sudden
cramping sensation began to scare me out of my
wits. "Mama, tulungan ninyo ako!" (Please help
me!) I shouted to the man who was then already in the center
island of Commonwealth Avenue. The man in white shirt heard me
and he came back for me! Oh my God! He directed the traffic right
away and MADE THE VEHICLES STOP about three meters from me.
It wasn't a traffic intersection but HE MADE THEM STOP! He then
picked me up and helped me cross the other half of the street. Oh,
how my left leg hurt! He asked whether I'd prefer to go back to the
hospital for treatment, but I told him I would be fine and would like
to go home instead. I held onto his arm for support while he hailed
a public ride. I thanked him as I was taking my seat inside a
jeepney going north. I forgot to even ask his name so I tried to call
him, since the jeepney was still getting some passengers... but he
disappeared from my sight. HE WAS GONE!
I was saved by a good Samaritan or my guardian angel. I
island of Commonwealth Avenue. The man in white shirt heard me
and he came back for me! Oh my God! He directed the traffic right
away and MADE THE VEHICLES STOP about three meters from me.
It wasn't a traffic intersection but HE MADE THEM STOP! He then
picked me up and helped me cross the other half of the street. Oh,
how my left leg hurt! He asked whether I'd prefer to go back to the
hospital for treatment, but I told him I would be fine and would like
to go home instead. I held onto his arm for support while he hailed
a public ride. I thanked him as I was taking my seat inside a
jeepney going north. I forgot to even ask his name so I tried to call
him, since the jeepney was still getting some passengers... but he
disappeared from my sight. HE WAS GONE!
I was saved by a good Samaritan or my guardian angel. I
believe the Lord saved my life because I still have a mission to accomplish in this world. Whatever it is, I would know it when it's here.
These two Christmas miracles that happened to me and my family have strengthened my faith in a Supreme Being that makes all things
possible.
How about you? Do you believe in miracles?
These two Christmas miracles that happened to me and my family have strengthened my faith in a Supreme Being that makes all things
possible.
How about you? Do you believe in miracles?