When Angels Come to Play

by M.J. Louis R.N.

Is there a greater sadness than the loss of a child? As a pediatric nurse, I've experienced the sorrow of a youngster's passing. As a mother, I endured the heartache of my own son's near death experience. Yet despite the despair in all of these situations, I have seen firsthand the grace of God.In When Angels Come to Play, I share a nonfictional narrative of three children I was blessed with the opportunity to care for during their final days. These, along with, at the time, my own eighteen-month-old son who was experiencing seizures that left him fighting for his life, brought profound questions to my mind. I wondered, if a child's soul is considered pure, cleansed of Original Sin, what, if any, grace does God bestow upon it?After joining the staff of the Children's Hospital in New York City, I, in fact, learned there is no opportune time to witness God's amazing grace than when angels come to call a young soul to play. I am sharing my story with readers as a mother and a nurse in the hopes that it brings the grieving parents and family, the distressed nurses, and the guilt-ridden doctors the gift of solace. Solace in knowing all is not lost when a young soul is set free to play.