All Right with God
Joan May
My
great niece Katrina Alexandra Hall was born in 1992 with a congenital heart
defect. What a big name for a tinier
than usual baby! Shortly after she was
born, the surgeon performed heart surgery.
He told my sister Ann (Katie’s grandmother who was an RN), “Mrs. Hall,
this baby is a miracle! While doing the surgery, I had to go to a place I’ve
never gone before – near her lungs.”
Since
I live in Florida, I only see this family when I go on trips back to Illinois
where they live. The first time I saw
Katie was when she was just an infant. While there, I was asked to babysit
Katie for a short period while Ann took Katie’s mother, Lisa, to an
appointment. I was almost afraid to hold
this fragile little baby. It was such a joy!
During the following years, I regretted not being able to visit them more
often.
Katie required
other heart surgeries during her early years.
Although Katie’s condition kept her from doing physical activities, she
did survive and grow. My sister Ann looked out for Katie and sent her to summer
camps for children with disabilities.
Katie developed into a sweet-natured pre-teen, well-liked by other kids.
When she was 14
years old, she was scheduled for her eighth heart operation. As Ann tucked Katie
into bed the night before her surgery, she asked her how she was feeling. Katie replied, “I talked to God, Grandma, and
He said I was going to be all right.”
The following day right after the surgery, the sorrowful surgeon told
the family the heart surgery went fine, but her lungs gave out.
When Ann told me
the details of Katie’s passing and the conversation they had the night before,
we both rejoiced that she was now truly… all right with God.
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