June 04, 2005
Firefighter Donald Herbert- The Movie?
Medical Miracle... or Just Miracle?
Saturday, June 04, 2005
By Fr. Jim Chern
"By now, most people have heard about Donald Herbert, the Buffalo fireman who awoke last month after spending 10 years in an "unresponsive" state due to brain injuries he sustained fighting a fire in 1995.
As the story was recounted, Herbert went without oxygen for almost six minutes that tragic night. He remained comatose for two months, and remained silent for the next nine years. When he awoke, he spoke for 16 hours straight, and one of the first things he is reported to have said to a fellow firefighter was, "Do I still have a job?"
In reading this fascinating story about a man who had been for all intents and purposes "asleep" in a nursing home for years but who was now laughing and joking and getting caught up with family, friends, fellow firefighters -- it almost seemed the premise to a sappy movie, maybe starring Tom Hanks, where you can pretty much write the script.
However, because the story is real, we seem almost at a loss as to how to respond. It's a miracle, and so there’s been reports of a possible intercession by Father Nelson Baker, the deceased priest for whom Herbert's nursing home was named. Reports have been circulating that people had prayed that Fr. Baker would intercede and ask God for a miracle to help Herbert. After Herbert’s amazing recovery, he is reported to have told another priest that Fr. Baker "had visited him....."
Read the rest of the article on Fox News
Saturday, June 04, 2005
By Fr. Jim Chern
"By now, most people have heard about Donald Herbert, the Buffalo fireman who awoke last month after spending 10 years in an "unresponsive" state due to brain injuries he sustained fighting a fire in 1995.
As the story was recounted, Herbert went without oxygen for almost six minutes that tragic night. He remained comatose for two months, and remained silent for the next nine years. When he awoke, he spoke for 16 hours straight, and one of the first things he is reported to have said to a fellow firefighter was, "Do I still have a job?"
In reading this fascinating story about a man who had been for all intents and purposes "asleep" in a nursing home for years but who was now laughing and joking and getting caught up with family, friends, fellow firefighters -- it almost seemed the premise to a sappy movie, maybe starring Tom Hanks, where you can pretty much write the script.
However, because the story is real, we seem almost at a loss as to how to respond. It's a miracle, and so there’s been reports of a possible intercession by Father Nelson Baker, the deceased priest for whom Herbert's nursing home was named. Reports have been circulating that people had prayed that Fr. Baker would intercede and ask God for a miracle to help Herbert. After Herbert’s amazing recovery, he is reported to have told another priest that Fr. Baker "had visited him....."
Read the rest of the article on Fox News
