I was called to the ER for a child who was unconscious and seemed to be having seizures. Parents were at his bedside, obviously worried, trying to hold his arms still, so he didn't keep hitting himself or others as his body tighten and contracted on the ER bed. When I asked what happened, the family didn't really know. He went to school just fine, but after school, he was playing with friends, something happened and his color was different and they gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation, and then brought him in.
As I examined him and asked some more questions, I wasn't sure what was going on, but I was worried it wasn't going to have a happy ending. His eyes weren't responding to light like they should, seizures kept ravaging his body despite the meds, and nothing seemed to make sense. I told the family we were going to keep trying some meds and went to the next bed to attend to a patient who was stabbed.
While sewing up the laceration, I hear crying from the bed next to me, where the kid was, I looked over and wasn't sure if he had stopped breathing or something else was going on. There were nurses around who didn't seem to be worried about the crying, so when I finished with the suturing, I went over and asked what had happened and learned more of the story.
Apparently, he had been playing with some friends and for some reason was playing with a rope or something around his neck and accidentally, ended up hanging himself. So his mom was crying, because she was now more worried about him, as was I, when I heard what had actually happened and as I examined him again.
I told the family, I wasn't sure what would happen. We continued with some medicines to stop the seizures, but we were going to have to wait and see what God would do. I prayed with them and went home, doubting the outcome was going to be favorable.
The next morning, I went to check on him in the Pediatric ward, and while he hadn't had any seizures, he also wasn't responding, he was just laying in bed, and I thought, well this isn't going to end well.
The next day, I checked on him again and this time when I called his name - he looked at me and sat up. He talked to me, he knew where he was and who was around him and what grade he was in. I couldn't believe it. I thought he was going to die. I thought this accident that happened while playing with a rope was going to be the end of his little life, but instead God had other plans. How thankful we all are, that even when medically, there is nothing I can do to help, there is always another step with prayer and waiting to see what God does.
