My sister-in-law’s daughter had invited two other children to spend the night with her two kids when the worse almost happened. It was a Monday evening. Two of the children were sitting at the kitchen table doing last-minute homework that was due the next day. The seven year old was fast asleep next to his mother who was bone-tired from her busy day at work. Mother and child slept peacefully in bed. Her four year old vied for a place at the table hoping to join the two oldest still hard at work.
The night wore on. The two older children grew tired. They decided to take a short nap. With books closed and heads down they were soon fast asleep. This left the youngest wide awake. Then it happened. The CO 2 carbon monoxide detector alarm sounded! Within seconds their apartment rapidly filled up with carbon monoxide that invisible, odorless, killing gas! Hearing the alarm, the child ran to the bed. He started shaking his older brother who in turn roused his sleeping mother. One of the children was foaming at his mouth! The mother frantically seized the child into her arms! She quickly led the children from the gas-filled apartment to the safety of the streets below! She immediately dialed 911 then waited for the paramedics to arrive! After placing the call she passed out from gas inhalation.
For two tense hours the medical professionals worked to revive both child and mother. Another hour passed before they managed to revive them. The situation was still desperate. The paramedics realized they were fighting a losing battle. They hustled the entire family to Christ Community Hospital in Oak Lawn (Illinois) for further treatment.
Seconds after the ambulance arrived at the hospital the quick acting ER staff revived the two dying people. They tested them for traces of carbon monoxide. Later they were further ambulanced to suburban Lutheran General Hospital in Niles (Illinois) a suburb located northwest of Chicago. Mother and child were placed in the decompression chamber. There they remained for the next four or five hours until every trace of gas was gone from their bodies. The hospital released them when they were safely out of harms way.
How does this story relate to the power of prayer? Every day my brother and I say special prayers to our Guardian Angels to protect our families. I usually attend Mass during the week. On the day of the accident I was so tired that I contemplated skipping the Liturgy. Something inside me urged me not to do so. I felt I had a good reason beside it wasn’t a Sunday and I was tired from work. I forced myself to attend Mass that day. What if my brother and I didn’t pray for our safety that day? Would the outcome have been different? We’ll never know this side of Heaven but we believe our prayers made the difference.