My 98-year-old father-in-law in a critical condition held on to his life for 60 hours to fulfil a promise…it was nothing short of a miracle, says KALA RAMESH

In my life, two proverbs, “Faith can move mountains” and “Expect the Unexpected ” in conjunction with my belief  to “Surrender unconditionally to God” have worked together to play out two miracles, both in the course of  my daughter’s and son’s weddings five years apart.

I had written about the first miracle on this website on October 8, 2020. (https://yourspositively.com/real-life-miracles/) Now I will tell you about the miracle in my son’s wedding. My son got engaged in September 2019, and having learnt the hard way during my daughter’s wedding that Chennai can have rains even in December, we fixed his wedding for February 2020.

All was going well, but four days before the wedding, my 98-year-old father-in-law, Shri K R Rajaraman slipped and fell down. Being frail and old, he had slipped several times, but he had always got up on his own and he used to be up and about in a day or two. This time around, it was different. He wasn’t able to get up on his own, and luckily we spotted him and raised him to his feet. We had an x-ray done at home, and it was found he had fractured a bone, needing hospitalisation.

Kala Ramesh

He was stable but restless. We had organised a get-together and mehendi  on February 2,  but we had to cancel those celebrations. Cancelling the events didn’t bother us and we were thankful that, at least, he was stable.

Then the next day, suddenly, my father-in-law’s health took a dip. His oxygen levels dropped below 75, compared to the normal level of around 90 plus. He was given oxygen support, but still his levels remained very low.

Once again I turned to prayers. We did group prayers in my shloka group. As soon as we completed chanting, news came that his oxygen levels had started rising.  However, it took nearly two hours to reach to a reasonable level. He was shifted from the normal ward to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) for close monitoring.

He was still in a very critical condition and doctors were not very hopeful. I spoke to one of our well wishers, who is a doctor, and asked that if he is put on ventilator, would he survive for few days? She said that if his heart stops, nothing can be done.

As the night wore on, I suddenly remembered a two-line prayer, which had miraculously saved a heart patient and I started chanting those two lines repeatedly.

The wedding venue

We had to leave for the wedding hall on the morning of February 4 to make preparations for the wedding. With a heavy heart, we reached the wedding hall. We did the necessary rituals. Each time the phone rang, our hearts missed a beat. Meanwhile, two of our relatives visited the hospital. When they returned, their lips said that my father-in-law was okay, but their expressions belied their words. The truth was that he was alive, but on life support and the wedding would have to be cancelled if he passed away. Each moment seemed like an eternity. 

That evening a good friend of ours, who had come with her family from Mumbai for the wedding, guided my husband and me to do distant healing for my father-in-law. We knew we couldn’t be away from the crowd, but we found a secluded room and did the healing process for nearly one hour. After that, somehow I felt light.

For 37 years, I have lived with my in-laws and the last four years after my mother-in-law’s demise, my priority was my father-in-law, one of the finest and noblest persons in the world. I felt so sad that all along after his admission in hospital, I couldn’t be with him. He had become like a child for me, feeling comfortable and peaceful only in my presence.

Guests at the wedding

I was feeling guilty that I was missing my duty by not being close to him at a time when he needed me the most. But after the guided distant healing session, I felt unburdened. I also felt during the healing that I was reaching out to his subconscious and he must have felt my thoughts were with him and that probably made him peaceful.

He had really blessed us, for my son’s wedding went off well. As soon as my son tied the knot, two of our relatives went to the hospital and informed my father-in-law that the wedding ceremony was completed. He had tubes connected all over, but the message had been conveyed and he had understood. My relatives left him with the promise that he could see the newly married couple soon. He had nodded despite being dazed. 

The bride entered her wedded home the same day. The next day, my father-in-law passed away peacefully.

During the engagement ceremony, the would-be bride and would-be-groom’s parents sign on a written document. My father-in-law being the oldest member signed the document, promising to take the girl as his grandson’s bride on a specified date at a specified place and time. True to his word, he kept his promise by holding on to his frail life for 60 hours, after he became critical.

Truly, a miracle had happened.

(Featured Image: The author’s father-in-law Shri K R Rajaraman signing the engagement document on September 1, 2019, promising to take the girl as his grandson’s bride on a specified date at a specified place and time.)

Kala Ramesh has worked with children who have learning difficulties; she also counsels parents on handling challenges faced by such children. Kala has great interest in Carnatic music and likes reading. She is a homemaker and lives in Chennai.