Читать книгу An Angel on My Shoulder - Theresa Cheung, Theresa Cheung - Страница 17

I was inconsolable when my five-year-old son Thomas went into a coma. The doctors told me the meningitis had taken a firm hold. His chances of survival depended on how strong his little body’s immune system was, but the prognosis was not good. There was little chance of him ever waking up again and I was told that he was quietly slipping away.

How could I ever get past this and go on? I didn’t know if I had the strength. I sat by my son’s bed. It was getting dark outside and inside. I felt numb. I sat there and waited.

At around 9 p.m. Thomas started to twitch. Then he opened his eyes and started to say in a weak voice, ‘Mummy, I want to stay with you. I’m frightened. The angels want me to come with them.’

I lay down beside Thomas in his bed and held and kissed him. I’m not religious, but I begged the angels to let me keep my son. I pleaded and I sobbed, but deep down I knew that this was a battle I didn’t have any say in.

I looked at Thomas again. His eyes were closed again but he was smiling. I knew this was it and I couldn’t accept it. I picked Thomas up and held him to me, ignoring all the tubes and equipment. As I held him, his little life flashed through my head in pictures. I saw him kicking his first football, stamping his foot when I wouldn’t give him seconds, laughing when I blew on his stomach. Then I saw in my head all the things I wanted to see him doing when he got older. I saw him riding a bike, playing in the school football team, running with a kite. I longed with all my heart to see him grow up, but there was nothing I could do. I was helpless. So I did the only thing I could – I held him tight.

After several minutes holding my son’s limp body in my hands I felt as if someone was standing right behind me. I felt a wonderful sense of peace and strength and I knew in that instant that I would have the strength to cope. A sense of calm came over me. I immediately stopped crying and I pictured my son happy and healthy again with the angels in heaven.

I turned around, expecting to see my mum or a doctor there trying to console me, but there was no one there. I believe that it was my guardian angel standing behind me giving me a wonderful sense of peace and hope.

Thomas remained unconscious for the rest of the night but the following morning he shocked everyone, especially me, as I was convinced he had quietly slipped away in the night, when he opened his eyes. The infection that had raged through his body was gone. He looked into my eyes and said, ‘I love you, Mummy,’ and then he looked up at the ceiling and said, ‘I love you too, angel.’

I stroked my son’s hands and face. The happiness and gratitude in my heart felt too much to bear. The angels had listened to the heartfelt longings of an ordinary boy and his mother.

Yes, I believe in angels, but not because of the miracle of my son’s life. After I felt the loving, magical touch of an angel standing behind me I would have believed in angels whatever the outcome.

If we just open our hearts and our minds, angels can bring comfort, peace and healing at the best and worst of times. Here’s Grace’s story: