"An Angel at the Door"

 

On May 25, 2002, my 12-year-old daughter Bethany and I had just finished eating at a fast food restaurant that we frequent. At this restaurant, they always put peppermint candy in the carry out bags. We finished eating the burgers and went home.

Later I saw the peppermint fall out of the bag. My first thought was to tell Bethany to "bite the candy up" or beat it up with the hammer, like I have always reminded my children to do (before swallowing anything.) But then I thought, "I have told her that over and over. No need to remind her again. She knows."

About two minutes later, Bethany came running to me asking me to help her because she was choking on that piece peppermint candy. At first I thought she was playing, since we normally play practical jokes on each other---even going as far as putting ketchup on our hands and pretending to be cut or bleeding. I patted her on the back and asked if that was better. She started to cry and said "no!"

With that answer, I knew we were in trouble. I started to pat her in the back harder, but that did not help. Then I grabbed her by the hand, ran to the kitchen to give her some water, hoping that would melt it down. But that didn't help either. I began to panic and cry with her...then something told me to open the door. It was not an audible voice---but a "within" voice. I thought for a second quite puzzled, "Open the door?" But I obeyed. I grabbed Bethany by the hand and ran to the door.

As I opened the door, the mailman was coming into my driveway to deliver the mail. We continued outside, down the steps and I asked, "Sir, will you help me, my daughter is choking on a peppermint?" He laid his mail down and asked me if had I performed the Heimlich maneuver. I told him no, that I didn't know how. He immediately began the procedure and informed me that he was a former EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). At that moment, I felt weak in my legs, but a calmness and a peace came over me. Bethany was able to breathe better and calmed down a little.

However, we were still in danger. About five seconds after the procedure was given, blood began to come out from her nose and mouth. I ran to the neighbor's house and asked them to call the ambulance. When I returned, Bethany was still bleeding from nose and mouth...right before our eyes, a bad situation became worse. The ambulance made it and took us to the hospital.

Upon arrival, her vital signs were two or three times above normal. They put her on the table in the emergency room and gave her a cup. She began to vomit blood. Suddenly a sharp object that had been concealed by the peppermint candy fell out of her mouth. They gave my daughter a shot to calm her down put her under a 24-36 hour watch for fever.

We are so happy to report that Bethany is doing fine and no internal damage was done. What a blessing and angelic intervention that came right to our door! Out of all the professions our mailman could have been prior to his becoming a mail carrier--a truck driver, a plummer, etc.--- he had been an EMT!

God is truly an "on time" God. We certainly thank God, and we thank our mailman...he was an angel that day.

We will never forget that miracle.

C. Scott
Forrest City, AR