An extraordinary Thanksgiving

 

It was 1962 and October 15, Thanksgiving around 3:00 AM in the morning when the pains started, I nudged my husband and told him I had to go to the hospital. It was  -50 outside and no vehicles were running, not even the taxies. Finally the Thompson propane gas truck started and off we went to the hospital.

            I was settled in the maternity ward and my husband sat with me until it was time for him to go to work. I breathed a sigh of relief when he left and got down to business.  The labour pains began to be much closer, I told the nurse that the baby was coming. She exclaimed that it couldn't be as a first baby was never fast. I told her this one was but she still didn't believe me. She left prepared to wait for the major event to happen and went to phone for the Dr. Well, it happened. I let out a screech and she came tearing back. She told me to be quiet as I could be heard all over the hospital. I told her again, the baby is coming, and she still wouldn't believe me until I insisted she check. "Good Grief" she exclaimed "the baby has crowned" and went tearing out of the room.

            I was in full labour I had tried to tell the nurse but she just wouldn't listen. In what I would say was 'in a twinkling of an eye' she was back with another nurse and a gurney. We need to get you to the labour room right away she said. I worked my way on to the gurney and when I was 'sort of' on it, she began to wheel me to the labour room. I shuffled myself onto the delivery table and managed to get one leg onto the stirrups and had no sooner got the other leg in position when I felt the baby coming. 'Its coming' and I don't know if I screeched it or screamed it. The nurse took one look and exclaimed 'Oh my Gosh' and had to grab for the baby, it was coming and fast. Between the two nurses, they delivered our daughter. She had beat the Dr. to being delivered.

            The bill was eventually given to us. A grand total of $75.00.

            We named her after her aunt that had so tragically died when she was sixteen years of age. It wasn't until she was four years of age that it was discovered she was deaf. Profoundly deaf they said. This was something that a person always thought to themselves that “ it will never happen to us”. Well it did happen, and now what are we suppose to do?

            We explored the options as we heard about them. With help from organizations and family and friends, we moved into Winnipeg and our daughter eventually had her grade nine and went on to college. Today she is married and has three grown children and three granddaughters. Life does go on regardless of our difficulties. They can be overcome.