Doug's illness

After Mum had learnt how to use email and the computer she sent this to me.  It is time I posted it here.  I have copied and pasted it from her letter.

"The Power of Prayer.

This is a true account of a miraculous recovery. Des and I talked about it between our two selves.

And I have just realised,  that, unless I write it down,  it may well be lost to the Family.

In early Jan 1959,  when we were living in Mansfield, Doug became very ill, there  was nothing to go on, he had no pain, no temperature, no vomiting,   he was just very ill; The Doctor came in twice a day and could not make a diagnosis           

Then one morning  as I was getting him washed and his bed changed he suddenly  said " Mummy, I've got a pain. ".

For some unknown reason I was  sure that he had a perforated appendix, and I rang the doctor and said  " Douglas has just perforated." He came at once and agreed with me and sent Doug to hospital.    

It was a perforated apppendix ,  and he did not improve after the operation,   he just got worse and worse. Then came a Saturday   when we went in , and he was in bed with cot sides up and restrainers on,  and he did not know us . To me he was obviously dying.;

We HAD  to go home in the evening ,  as the girl who was baby sitting had to go.     And the hospital said they would send for us as soon as there was any change.  Des went to see the Vicar, and asked for prayers to be read in Church the next morning;;     And the Baptist Vicar came in to see us and said they would say prayers for him too.

In the morning  we rang the hospital, and they said he was still unconscious,    no real change.

So we went to Church,   The prayers for the sick were read about 11 a.m.   

After the service we  went up to the hospital,  and walked into the ward; Douglas was sitting up in bed,

washed,  clean clothes on, the restrainers off and the cot sides down, and, as we entered the ward he said "  Hello Mummy, Hello Daddy I'se better;" and he was, and was soon well enough to be discharged.

I asked the ward sister  what had happened, if he had gradually come round,   and she said no that, at about 11 o'clock, he just " Woke up. "  and they washed him changed him and gave him some breakfast, he was perfectly lucid.

                                   No more needs to be said. ."