Healing Hands

It was August 1994 and I was 16 weeks pregnant with my second child. My eldest daughter, Megan, was 18 months old at the time and had only recently been told of the impending arrival of a brother or sister to complete our family.
That day, I noticed all was not well. My heart sank. I rang my husband, Dominic, and could barely speak when I asked him to come home straight away. We rushed to my gynaecologist. He examined me and performed an emergency ultrasound, which confirmed my worst fears; our baby had died in my womb.
I was hysterical, wanting to know what went wrong and how this could happen.
I was placed in hospital, in my own room in the maternity ward. I asked my husband to take my daughter home and tell her Mummy was fine and would be back after a sleep at the hospital.
After reading all the magazines I had brought in, I ventured to the patients' common room to watch some television to pass the time. Soon a woman came in to also watch TV. She was wheeling her bassinet containing a newborn baby.
We began talking and naturally she asked where my baby was. I told her I'd lost my baby at 16 weeks and she apologised and went quiet. I decided to save her further embarrassment by returning to my room.
Just as I was about to get up and excuse myself she asked, "Would you like to hold my baby?" The next thing I knew I was breathing in the wonderful newborn scent of a three-day-old baby boy.
After chatting some more, I reluctantly but gratefully gave her back her son. I, of course, went back to my room and cried a flood of tears, but that brave act of kindness from one mother to another was the catalyst for my recovery. Holding another precious baby in my arms made me look forward to going home to the precious baby I still had, who was yet to realise she was no longer going to be a big sister.
I never saw that wonderful lady again and I hope her life has been filled with joy and happiness with her family. I would love to thank her again for showing that the kindness of strangers can work true miracles. Happily on January 14, 1996, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

By Christine Demicoli