A Million Little Miracles

Do you see them?

Sunset view out of my dad’s hospital window

Last Monday around noon, I got a call from my dad’s neighbor that an ambulance had just taken him to the hospital. When I arrived, the doctor looked at me and mouthed, “I’m worried.” I understand why. He had a ruptured aorta. This had caused the loss of blood supply to his right leg, which he wasn’t able to stand on. The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. It transports oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body. A sudden rupture kills most people instantly.

My dad took a 42-minute helicopter ride to a heart hospital as we scrambled to grab our stuff and make the 2-hour drive to meet him there. That night, he endured a 10-hour open heart surgery to repair his ascending and descending aorta. He survived, but he wouldn’t wake up from the anesthesia.

For three days, we sat with him as he lay in his bed with tubes in his mouth. The doctors were concerned that he was taking too long to wake up. Multiple CT scans didn’t give any answers. His surgeon said we must let him wake up on his own time.

Friday morning, I was driving to the hospital listening to a song called “Million Little Miracles.” I guess I had it up loud because I missed a call from the ICU. My mind immediately assumed it was bad news. I braced myself as I turned the corner to his room. Walking in, there he was — no tubes in his mouth, sitting up and awake and being helped into a chair! As he smiled at me, I couldn’t contain the tears. I hugged the nurse and tried to process what I had witnessed over the last week.

My 87-year-old father had survived.

Me and my dad one hour after he woke up from a 4 day sleep

This time of year is so hard for many of us. We’re supposed to be joyful, but something often feels missing. Perhaps some of you reading this are experiencing your first Christmas without a loved one, you’re dealing with a difficult health diagnosis, or your family may be estranged from you.

I’m a person of faith. I will never push it on you. Whether you believe in God or not, I pray you will experience miracles—big, small, or in between—this week.

Count your miracles. They are there if you look!