Working with trust, Being Still and Knowing                 

 September 18, 2012
 
With all my training and over 10 years of working experience did not prepare me for working with a lovely 11 year old boy who is in a coma.  I am humbled by this experience and have increased faith in love and compassion without boundaries.   For this article I will name this boy JL.

According to JL’s parents he had a fever just before Christmas last year.  The fever was very high only during the night and after two consecutive nights of high fever he developed convulsions.  Mother took him to the hospital and while he was there he had seizures and the doctors advised JL’s mum that they would put him in a coma to help stop the seizures.  They did this and until today JL remains in a coma and he has been diagnosed as clinically brain stem dead http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Brain-death/Pages/Introduction.aspx.

I have been working on JL since April 2012.  I have not worked on a coma patient before, hence I was a very nervous because I did not want to bring false hope to his parents and family.  I see myself as a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy facilitator and not a healer.  I really did not know where to begin.  At the back of my mind this nagging thought that JL is clinically dead and yet he is breathing through a ventilator.  When I first make contact with JL I kept my intention to his Breath of Life.  I figured as long as he is alive (even though technically he is breathing through the ventilator) and his tissues express Breath of Life I was going to focus on the health within him.

It was a big challenge on me to work on JL in the ICU ward with all the machines and gadgets attached to him.  And while I was working, I was surrounded by nurses who kept a close watch on JL and the readings on his machines.  It was quite difficult to stay in a state of balance awareness and stillness, but I did my best.

There was little motion upon contact.  I could not even detect any Primary Respiration, only lots of heat beneath my hands locally. What was I thinking?  I guess the “never give up attitude” I have in life gave me strength to go on treating JL.  While he was in the ICU I worked on him daily until he was moved to a hospice.  The doctors could not do anything anymore. 
There was a glimmer of hope.  JL is breathing through a ventilator, his breathing rate and heart rate remained strong and stable.  There is no congestion in his lungs and JL has a few bed sores on his elbows and some rashes on his back.  I think this is a good sign.

At the hospice, most of the time while I was working on JL, there would be Christian volunteers coming to visit him and praying for him.  Once while I was working on JL,  Buddhist monks came and sat by JL’s bed chanting for his speedy recovery and wellness. 

Now I am giving JL BCST treatments twice a week.  His Primary Respiration has improved.  There is motility and potency.   I do not know how long I can keep this up and how much longer I can commit.  I pray Allah gives me the strength to not give up.

It has been a journey of hope and complete trust of the unknown for me working with JL.  I can’t figure out whether it is stupidity, denial or just having faith that God is the Universal energy.

Will JL wake up soon?  Nobody knows.  We are all hopeful for the best.