In Medical Need

Thirty years ago a true story unfolded in the most remote part of New Zealand.
The windswept Chatham Islands are located in the South Pacific Ocean about 500 miles east of Christchurch.
A hardy and resourceful 650 people lived there, isolated in the lonely, harsh environment of those days; and a young, inexperienced, and newly qualified doctor was responsible for their medical care.

An eight-year-old boy, Shane, had sustained a serious head injury 40 miles away on the far side of the island.
He was being rushed in across the swamps and along the beaches on the backseat of an old, rusty car to the four-bed cottage hospital.
He was unconscious.

The young doctor was unprepared to handle such a case, with little experience and having only the most basic of surgical instruments.
Shane was in a critical condition.
There was obvious bleeding inside his fractured skull--and blood clotting could fatally compress his brain.
The doctor had never even seen a brain operation, but he knew he had to perform the delicate surgery immediately--or watch a little boy die.

There were blood donors to be called in, blood to be cross matched, an anesthetic to be prepared.
The antique X-ray machine had broken down, so no helpful X-rays could be taken.

There was the first of many phone calls to Wellington where a neurosurgeon tried to imagine the scene and guide the nervous young doctor through the process of a very delicate surgical procedure.

Shane's mother prayed.
The doctor prayed; the nurse prayed; the doctor's wife prayed.

Responsibilities had to be delegated in this busy scene.
The policeman administered the anesthetic, a nurse became the surgical assistant, and the work began under an Anglepoise light as darkness fell.

The first surgical incision, nervously performed, did not reveal any bleeding, so other incisions needed to be performed through Shane's small skull to find the source of the bleeding.
More calls to the neurosurgeon for direction and reassurance were made, and his advice was followed in every exact detail.
After six hours of anxiety and pressure, the surgery was completed, the hemorrhage of blood into the brain cavity ceased, and a successful outcome was achieved.
Serenity replaced chaos.
It was around midnight.

The doctor was a young father.
He thought about his family and the blessings they enjoyed.
He was grateful for the many tender mercies of the Lord in his life and especially for the presence of the Comforter during the last 12 hours.
He was grateful for the presence of an unseen expert who imparted of His far-greater knowledge freely in his time of need.

At the critical time in a desperate situation, the Lord provided the guidance and the ability for a young, inexperienced doctor to perform a miracle and preserve the life of a small boy, who was precious before the Lord.

Neil Hutchison was the young doctor who prayed for help and had the faith to rely on the Lord and the neurosurgeon, enabling him to perform a miracle under the most difficult of conditions.
He now serves as the bishop in the East Coast Bays Ward in Auckland, New Zealand.

Bishop Hutchison advised me, "I had the privilege of meeting Shane and his father a couple of years ago in Christchurch for the first time since that day in 1976.
He is an electrician with his own business and is aware of no defects from his long operation.
He is such a nice chap, and I can't help pondering on how thin the veil is between this life and the next."

-H. Bruce Stucki -Prayer, Faith, and Family: Stepping-Stones to Eternal Happiness -April 2006 General Conference

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi