Chapter
7

Alex was transferred to the ICU. As we arrived there, we noticed another family from church. Allison was an 8-year-old child from FBC. I was in charge of Allison when she attended her second grade Sunday School class. I don’t remember the disorder that Allison had, but she was just your normal looking kid until about age 3. She then started to develop some muscle weakness that quickly progressed to her being completely unable to control any of her muscle activity. Neurologically, she was completely alert. However, she was trapped in a body that had constant muscle spasms. She drooled and spit uncontrollably. Her family wanted her to be able to attend Sunday School and know the Truth about God and Jesus. Being a doctor, my job was to simply hold Allison while the real teacher of the class taught the Bible lessons. I started this when Allison was in the 1st grade class and then moved up with her when she went to the 2nd grade class.

 

Allison had been admitted into the ICU with a severe infection. She was suffering with sepsis and fever greater than 104 that they were having difficulty controlling. As we settled into the ICU, Alex was still fast asleep. The children’s minister from FBC came into the room. She was sweet but didn’t really say much. I told her that I didn’t know how she could do her job, and that it must be so hard. I said, “How often have you had a child from church pass away?” She teared up and began to look overwhelmed.

 

She said, “I never have.”

 

I said, “Oh…. Well, How often do you have children from church in the ICU?”

 

She swallowed deeply and said, “I never have.”

 

I thought to myself, “Well I guess I won’t be leaning on her expertise.”

 

Again, I think this was such a God send. God was having me lean on Him and Him only.

 

As we settled into the ICU room, other family members came. My dad’s sister and her husband arrived. It was really odd to me that they made it to the ICU, but they made it in. Alex was still sleeping soundly. It was always a routine at home to make sure that Alex had everything in place in her bed before she could drift off to sleep. She had been working on not sucking her thumb since she turned 3 on May 11th, but that milestone was put on hold for now. She lay there in the ICU bed with monitors beeping and her IV in place. Then we all noticed. She didn’t have her blanket. Alex had a special pink and white blanket that she once carried everywhere. As of late, she just needed it to go to sleep with. It had been left in the Suburban.

 

Suddenly there was a mission for my dad. He said, “I will go get that blanket no matter what.” The weather outside was terrible. It was storming like we were in the middle of a hurricane. My dad found out that the Suburban was taken to Holden’s Wrecker Service, so off he, his sister, and his brother-in-law went. Hours later, they would return bewildered and shook up, but they had the blanket. They were in tears and said they have no idea how anyone survived in the car that they just saw. The blanket was filthy, but it was one thing that Alex didn’t have to say goodbye to that day.

 

Right after Dad left to look for the blanket, I was told that a hold was put on the organ procurement from Jackson. The St. Tammany Parish Coroner had decided that Jackson’s cause of death was in question. The coroner had said that LOPA could not collect Jackson’s organs because he was unsure what had caused Jackson’s death. Because there is a specific time limit as to when a person’s organs can be collected, it was imperative that they be collected now, or they would have been wasted.

 

Suddenly, there was a task for me. I did not personally know the coroner, but I knew his reputation. It was Friday evening, and it appeared he didn’t want to be bothered. I don’t remember how I got his office on the phone, but someone at the hospital connected me to his staff. I asked his staff, “What exactly is in question?” They made some vague assertion to foul play to which I lost it. It wasn’t as bad as I had gotten with the EMTs, but it was stern and direct. I told the staff member from the coroner’s office to either wake the coroner up or have him push away from his meal at his night out on the town and to do his job! I said, “I am struggling with the accidental death of my child from a motor vehicle accident. If he is suggesting that our nanny got mad at our children and orchestrated a mode of murdering our son by picking our kids up from summer camp in order to flip our Suburban end over end while she and my children were in the car only to have killed my son, then the coroner is out of his mind. If the cause of death is beyond the coroner to comprehend, then I suggest he understand that brain tissue is not supposed to be outside of the skull. If he is too stupid to know that then he needs to stop being the coroner.”

 

When I stopped talking on the phone, I looked around the room, and it appeared that the entire ICU was listening to me. I hadn’t dropped any F bombs this time, but I was rough…. Probably too rough. However, thirty minutes later we received word that the coroner had released Jackson’s body. LOPA would be collecting his organs.

 

Over the next couple of hours, other family members would be informed. Each was another difficult conversation. Leslie (my sister), William, and Ashley were out of town, but Leslie called and loved on me as best as she could. Dadiji and Dadaji and Shopen (Elna’s brother) were told. Mom Dadiji was devastated. Relatives in India were informed. Word was spreading around the country fast. My work knew before I told them. My outburst with Acadian Ambulance had made waves to Breaux Bridge. Everyone that needed to know knew. The night was getting long. Alex continued to sleep soundly. She was in the middle of the ICU bed. I settled in on one side of her to sleep. Elna settled in on the other side. Our new family of three fell hard asleep.

 

Psalm 23

 

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
   forever.

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