It was several days after Thanksgiving when I received a phone call from a woman looking for an out-call massage for her sister.
She explained that her sister was in the hospital, in a coma, and she was hoping for reflexology. A few days later, she called back and asked if I still had the availability. I did, and we scheduled a session. She provided me with the name and contact number of her niece, Deana, who was in town. When I arrived at the Catholic hospital in downtown Phoenix, Deana greeted me. Now, after more than three weeks with no improvement, Deana was faced with the heartbreaking decision of whether to place her mother on hospice care.
During the massage, I witnessed a flood of emotions; grief, frustration, heaviness, and deep sorrow. So much unfolded in that hour. It was heartbreaking to witness. Yet, I always believe that I am in the right place at the right time. Once the massage was over, Deana walked me downstairs. As we reached the bottom floor, she confided in me that she was likely going to remove her mother from the life-support systems keeping her alive.
I told her that if she ever needed a massage even just to have a space to cry, would be there. I love you. Two weeks later, Deana unexpectedly came to mind, so I sent her a text to let her know I was thinking about her.
When I arrived, I expected to hear the details of how her mother had passed. But what Deana told me was far from anything I could have imagined. She shared that, just days after my visit, her mother woke up. Not only was she awake, but she was now in physical therapy and fully coherent! Then, Deana told me something even more astonishing. While in her coma, her mother had been visited by her son, Nate, who had passed away two years prior.
