Story about the T-shirts
Here is a story about a man for whom I performed CPR and soon after he was pronounced dead. Mr. SP was a Christian patient who was found unresponsive while sitting on a chair next to few other patients. When Mr. SP was found, they believed that right there some assistance was needed. They believed he was simply unresponsive, which could be caused for many different reasons! Unfortunately, Mr. SP was dead long before he was found.
When he was found and believed that he was unresponsive, they quickly decided to call for the code. I was working on another floor and because I was/am one of the CPR Instructors who teach Basic Life Support in the hospital, there wasn’t any hesitation for me to go and assist. Reaching where Mr. SP was found on the chair, as there was already someone else doing CPR on Mr. SP, soon after it was time to switch, I took over to continue doing CPR on Mr. SP.
As 911/EMS was also called, I must say everything was tried on Mr. SP to see if there was sign of life. Unfortunately, Mr. SP was long time gone while nobody knew. We continued doing CPR on Mr. SP for a long time before he was finally pronounced dead.
It was a total shock on the unit for the staff who’ve been with Mr. SP for many years. But together we all went through the moment and continue doing the work we were called to do.
When Mr. SP was found in that condition, staff member was going back and forth every thirty minutes doing round to check on all the consumers. And because Mr. SP usually sat in that spot sleeping quietly the same way he was found, no one could have believed that such a shock could have surfaced until Mr. SP was found unresponsive during the medication time. What a night!
Mr. SP was a very unique special patient. He loved God. He had a very exceptional voice. Everybody has a specific season to celebrate Christmas! But not Mr. SP. Christmas, for him, comes the time that pleased him. Sometimes Christmas may come in three different months of the year. But sometimes, with Mr. SP, Christmas is every month of the year.
He changed nature frequently for he was a psych patient. However, in everything God was first for him.
One thing that many of the staff didn’t know about Mr. SP was that even when Mr. SP went to the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, Mr. SP would be praying until he finished what he was doing. That was the Mr. SP I knew.
Personally, I was traumatized by his passing. And now following his death, it was perhaps a week later as I had decided to stay overnight to do overtime, they sent me on a unit across where Mr. SP had his final days.
As I was walking back and forth in the hallway the whole night with my hands crossed behind me, I was questioning and asking myself why and how come Mr. SP had left so sudden the way he did. As I was talking to myself, a little thought came.
The thought was so nice – so sweet – and so powerful in a way where I couldn’t let it go. And right there, I took my pen and paper and wrote it down. And now instead of thinking of Mr. SP’s passing, it was the little thought that was totally preoccupied my mind the entire night.
How much you believe in spiritual power? Hm! As my mind was totally preoccupied, the very simple thought was translated into many different little thoughts. Today, the t-shirts that are available to you was originated of a meditation on Mr. SP’s passing; a brother in Christ whom not everybody could identify.
As I am today meditating on the way I received the thought, it comes to my understanding that it was an unfulfilled task/mission that is now being transferred for completion.
Mr. SP was a great man. Even in his most difficult moments, Mr. SP would find a way to make those around him laugh. As staff, we often get distracted by the misconducts of people just like Mr. SP. But in reality, if they could choose a better way to be able to enjoy their freedom just like us, they would.
May our compassion be extended to those who are unable to help themselves, physically and psychologically.