Pray For Hippo's Cure

(Atlanta) I got shook up today. I’m wearing a blue bracelet to remind me of what shook me up. The following words are written on the bracelet: “Pray for Hippo’s Cure.”

Michael Bruce Crawley (aka Hippo) is a patient at Emory University Hospital. When I walked in the room to see him today he called my name in a weakened voice. He held his fist up and we knocked fists. For a man who did not know his strength for most of his life, he had to muster strength to even raise his fist today.

I told him I loved him. He told me he loved me.

He immediately turned to his wife, Sarah, and was trying to tell her something. His mind would not allow the words to come out. After a couple of attempts, he pointed to his hospital bracelet he was wearing on his arm. She then knew what he was trying to say. He wanted to make sure I got a bracelet to wear.

More importantly he was asking for prayer. He knows that a supernatural intervention from God is his only shot.

I started to kindergarten with Mike Crawley and his twin brother, Will, about 47 years ago. I have known them longer than that because I have some old movies with them at my birthday party long before I began kindergarten. The kindergarten was held in a little house in the Crawley’s yard that was built for that purpose. Their mom was our teacher.

The Crawley twins would be in my class all throughout grade school and high school. We also attended Sunday school and MYF together at the Methodist Church across the street from their house.

Mike did very well in life. He began his career by becoming an Emergency Medical Technician. He worked at nearby Fort Valley hospital on that ambulance service. He eventually transferred to the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon and became a Paramedic and worked for years on that ambulance service. Big Mike then decided to go to nursing school and became a Registered Nurse. He was a long time nurse in the very busy Emergency Room of that Medical Center and also worked in the Neuro Intensive Care for several years. For the last several years he has worked with the Cardiac team.

Several years ago Hippo had heart bypass surgery. I went over and sat with the family in the waiting room while he was in surgery. I think every doctor in Macon came by to check on him. You can mention the name “Hippo” to anybody who has worked at the Medical Center for any length of time and they will know and have much respect for this man.

Just a couple of years ago, Mike’s twin brother Will was dying with a failing liver. Big Mike literally saved his life. Through his networking and knowledge of the medical field, Big Mike saw to it that his identical twin brother Will got to the right doctor to get a liver transplant. And he nursed him back to health - taking off from his own work to look after his twin brother.

The irony is that Will, who we thought would not make it, is doing great now. And Big Mike, who was doing fine, has liver cancer.

I don’t understand the ways of God. I don’t even try to understand. He is in control of it all.

But what I do understand is the value of lifelong friends.

I’m typing this from the Atlanta Airport. I’m about to jump on a flight to Durham, NC for a speaking engagement. Another lifelong friend who I have written about on this blogsite is picking me up at the airport. Jimmy Childre, Jr and I were talking about our friend, Hippo, and he just happens to be in Durham this weekend. We will go out to dinner and he will drop me off at the hotel where I’m scheduled to speak.

I have something for him in my pocket.

It's a blue bracelet.