It was the month of February, 1973 that my daughter Priscilla”s life was saved by Swami Rama’s intervention.

Priscilla was a senior at Ohio State University.  After suffering severe abdominal pains for over a day, she was admitted to the Ohio State University Teaching Hospital, which was located on the Ohio State campus in Columbus, Ohio.

My first inkling of trouble was when I received a telephone call from Priscilla’s roommate informing me that Pris was about to undergo emergency surgery. Columbus is about 100 miles from our home, and fortunately the road is interstate most of the way.  My next memory is being pulled over by a highway patrolman, and informed that I was driving 85 miles an hour.  I explained that my daughter was gravely ill.  After giving me a stern warning plus a heavy fine, I was once again free to go.  I promptly resumed my excessive speed, and arrived at the hospital just as Pris was being wheeled into the operating room. She knew that I was there, and that was what was important to me.

The operation was a lengthy one.  The surgeon met with me following the procedure with the news that Pris was in grave condition.  It seems that a hole had formed in the bowel, and the entire abdominal cavity was contaminated with fecal material.  The surgeon told me that in addition to the antibiotics she was being given the only other recourse was prayer.

I stayed at Priscilla’s bedside for the next two days and nights.  She was desperately ill, running a high temperature, and in a fever daze most of the time.  Since I had had no sleep for two nights, I arranged for a nurse to stay with Pris the third night.  That was a Wednesday night. The surgery had been performed Monday afternoon.

I knew when I was sitting with Pris on Wednesday afternoon that her situation was past critical.  I always carried a picture of Swami Rama with me as well as my mala.  Pris was able to understand what I was saying although she could not communicate.  I held my picture of Swami Rama where she could see it.  I told her to concentrate on His picture as I repeated a mantram Swamiji had given to me.  After a short period of time Pris, with the movement of her eyes, directed my attention to the metal triangle fixed over the top of her bed, which could be used by patients to pull themselves to an upright position.  That triangle was swinging vigorously back and forth.  Pris and I looked at each other and smiled.  We knew that Swami Rama had taken charge of the situation.

That night I left Pris with a light heart.  I had full faith that whether Pris lived or died, Swami Rama was in charge of the show.  I know that Priscilla felt that way too.

I went to a nearby motel where I had taken a room, and slept a sound and dreamless sleep.  The next morning at 7:30 I was wakened by a call from the night nurse I had hired to stay with Pris.  She said that sometime during the night Pris had “coded” and died.  She had been brought back, and now seemed to have taken a new lease on life.  They were all amazed.

When I arrived at the hospital, I found a daughter who was lucid, and obviously no longer at death’s door.  Of course, she had youth and good health on her side, but still her recovery astounded everyone, that is except Priscilla and me.  That afternoon she was out of bed and walking down the hall.  She wanted to be discharged from the hospital.  The doctor had never seen anything like her recovery, and could find no reason for keeping her in the hospital, so she was discharged late Friday afternoon.

After Pris had been given her discharge papers I left the hospital and went to the parking garage to pick up the car.   When I walked out of the hospital on that last trip to the garage, I felt an intolerable weight suddenly descend.  I almost fell to the ground as I tried to bear that weight.  It immediately occurred to me that I was feeling ALL of the negativity that Swamiji had borne for me.  As quickly as that realization came to me, and I thanked Swamiji; the weight was lifted.

Priscilla was able to resume attending classes the following Monday, just one week following her surgery.  The only lasting affect to me was that my hair had turned gray during that week.