A Near Death Appearance

I remember an event my mom and dad discussed when my brother and sisters were older or hearing it discussed between my parents and other family members. It occurred when I was six, and my brother Randy was four. It all started when my mom needed to have a large goiter removed by surgery on the throat area of her neck. We didn't realize how serious it was for my mother as small children. We always thought my mom and dad would be there forever, and we were all worried about her and the outcome of the surgery.

My father did not earn much money then and was lucky to have medical insurance from his employer. Still, he could not afford to miss work, so it was essential to find a live-in babysitter until my mother recovered from her surgery. I am sure this was a very stressful time for my father, having two small children and a very sick wife in the hospital, trying to work, care for my mother, and needing someone to care for us kids during the day. My father did not drive, so he had to depend on family, friends, or neighbors to drive him to the hospital to visit her during the surgery and recovery in the hospital. My father always took a bus to and from work. In the meantime, my father found a live-in person to care for my brother and me. Her name was Paula.

It was a hazardous surgery due to the enormous size of the goiter. The incision stretched from one side of the throat to the other at the base of the neck. The doctor warned my father of the operation's dangers and possible side effects. When the operation was completed, and with all the stitches, she looked like the bride of Frankenstein. My mother was sent to the recovery room after the surgery was completed. In the recovery room, she was in critical condition.

During the recovery period in the hospital, it seemed she would not make it, coming close to death several times. During one of the near-death experiences that occurred at night as we were all sleeping. The live-in caretaker, for some reason, was awakened, and as she woke up, my mother was sitting on the side of her bed. In shock, Paula screamed, dressed, and ran out of the house, never to be seen again.

I'm not sure why my mom's spirit went to Paula's bedside, and now as an adult, I wonder if she was a mean woman or was mistreating us, kids. Was she stealing money, or did she have bad intentions? My mother was always protective of her six children her whole life. I am so sure my mother had a good reason for appearing.

There were critical times for us as the recovery continued for my mother. It lasted two or three weeks in the hospital and a few months at home, but with God's mercy and healing, my mother made it back home and recovered fully. My family is so grateful to my mother for all the years she cared for and loved us unconditionally.

WRITTEN BY: Alvin Rivera