Daniel in the Lion's Den
A Compilation of Life-Changing Events Experienced at Detroit Receiving Hospital From the Eyes of a Patient Advocate
by
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"WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE YEARS THAT GOD GAVE HER TO US"
A very tragic day with a bit of a happy ending. My shift began with the arrival of a 40 year-old woman who died before she could be administered to. The family followed. There were several brothers and sisters, aunts, and uncles, cousins, and of course her parents. The attending physician and I spoke to all of them. There was nothing that could have been done to save her life. I took the twelve of them to view the body. We talked about her life, her faith, and her children. Before the family departed, we prayed together. She was so young, and so loved. But, once again, I heard someone (I think it was her father) say the words that I have spoken many times: "We are grateful for the years that God gave her to us." To me, that is such a wonderful statement of faith. To be able to see the blessings in our life, through tears and sorrow, requires a big heart and a loving soul.
BACK FROM THE DEAD
During the late night hours, a man was brought in without a pulse and not breathing. The doctors worked over him feverishly, but finally had to pronounce him dead. He had flat-lined. The man's name was Matthew. He was 63.
The doctor and I approached the family that had gathered in our waiting room. I have been through this so many times. It is never pleasant. It is never easy. I feel their pain with each and every word from the doctor. We discussed viewing the body, and I told them that I would come back to them when it was time.
I went to the resuscitation room where the man was pronounced dead. I wanted to get an idea of how long it would be before the family could view the body. No one was there except Matthew. He was obviously gone. There was no movement of any kind. There was debris all around his gurney. I said a quick prayer on his behalf, and then went looking for the lead nurse so we could compare notes.
Suddenly, I happened to glance down the hall and saw a nurse running from the resuscitation room. Matthew had been dead for almost twenty minutes. The time of death had been recorded and the family notified. However... he was back! They found a pulse and began to help him breathe. It was totally astonishing. There was no explanation. The doctors all agreed that Matthew was gone and didn't come back into our world for at least fifteen minutes. He had come back form the dead. Now the doctor and I would have to return to the family and give them the good news. They were delirious with joy. They understood that there was no medical explanation. They seemed to take it as a sign that God had delivered him. Maybe God did.
I said to his son, "Well, if you didn't have much faith, you will now."
The young man replied, "You got that right, Doc." It was quite a happy ending to a rough night.
So many times I have prayed for some of our patients and I have requested my daughter, Tammy, and others to pray as well. And, on several occasions, the patients did recover. Sometimes the doctors have no explanation, even though they are some of the best in the country. Most of them agree that God does have a role. They have seen things that most of us never get a chance to see. But tonight we all got a present from God, especially Matthew and his family.
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About the Book
They joy of writing "Daniel In The Lion's Den" is only surpassed by the daily joy of helping others, as I go beside the patients and their families, at Detroit Receiving Hospital. God is always with me, as I work along side the nurses and doctors, in one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the United States.
As I began my position as Patient Advocate, in 2009, I took note daily of heart wrenching stories, strength of faith at the darkest hours, and God's hand in healing. My wife, Paula, suggested that I keep a log of many of the stories that developed. Every night brought something new. I was in complete awe of our entire staff at Detroit Receiving Hospital, not only the doctors and nurses, but the clerks, registration personnel, and security officers as well. Remarkably, I was widely accepted by that staff, and soon felt very much at home, as I worked beside them.
The stories I have to tell are actual life and death accounts, seen through the eyes of a Patient Advocate. The Emergency Department at Detroit Receiving Hospital can be horrifying, but it can also be a place of incredible mercy. It is a place of refuge for many who might be homeless, seriously ill or injured. It is, for some, the last place they will ever visit...alive. The pain and the grief here can be overwhelming, but as you read these stories you will find joy and healing. God's work here is unmistakable. I hope you see His hand, as i did, and just as Daniel did in the Biblical "Lion's Den".
About the Author
The author, Daniel William Heard, loves God, family and baseball. He is a simple man, who never sees the grass as greener on the other side.
He and his wife, Paula, lost their youngest of three daughters, Danielle, and the baby that she was carrying, Scarlett, to an automobile accident in 1996. Not a day goes by that Daniel and Paula do not feel the pain of their tremendous loss.
In spite of the worst pain a parent could endure, God has blessed Daniel in so many ways. He sees God's hand in his life, everywhere.
How God has touched Daniel since the deaths of his daughter and granddaughter, has redefined him. He became a facilitator to parents who have lost children. It is a group he named "Parents of Hope". God seemed to say to him, "If I know you are in pain. Take that pain and reach out to others who are suffering in the same way. I will show you the way." That ministry led to the position of Patient Advocate, at Detroit Receiving Hospital, in 2009, after a career in finance for over 35 years. God pointed Daniel Heard in a new direction. A direction that only He saw coming.
God's love was so apparent to Daniel, in the Emergency Department of that hospital, that he was driven to write about the many daily stories of love, death and faith, that he witnessed... and, he calls it "Daniel In the Lion's Den".
God has given Daniel Heard a grief ministry that he eagerly embraces. He feels blessed that God has entrusted in him a calling to help others through their toughest walks in life. He tries to bring a smile to their faces, as a comfort from God's love to us all. The smiley face symbolizes the best reflection of who Daniel Heard is, and that God is always there for all of us. (insert smiley face)