DoorBells That Ring Deep Into A Heart

See how the Ringing of a Doorbell can change lives

Last night when the doorbell rang, my wife Becky came from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner for the family, and without thinking opened the front door without a doubt on her mind that the person ringing the bell would be a welcome guest.  This time, it was Thomas Dorsey Burtrand from next door.  “T.D.” as we called him was always such a happy person, always bearing good news and often a joyous anecdote to tell.  He was a great friend and often spent some part of the day on Saturday or Sunday evening as their guest.  And, he was good at arriving just in time for dinner.  My husband, Paul, was also a fan of his.    Paul was single, and devoted to being a good one.   He often brought a date with him, but he was just as content to go it alone.  He could have fun and enjoy life any way it came to him. 

On this particular occasion, just days before Christmas, TD was at the front door with date, all festively dressed and bearing a rather large box with a really large Red and Silver Bow.  TD said: ‘we were just in the neighborhood and thought you might have a glass of Egg Nog for a cold friend out in the snow.’  Well, it had not snowed, and It was not cold, but I said, “TD, you are welcome anytime and I think the snow will arrive on Christmas Eve, so you can come back then for that Egg Nog, how about that.”  TD said, “Done deal, I’ll be back with bells on.    TD introduced his date as Maggie Browning and said, “Maggie is a church friend and It is my hope she will accept that invitation right now.”   Maggie, said she would be honored and glad to return on Christmas Eve.”  This evening passed with amazing fun and joy, and ended about midnight. 

When that Doorbell rang again on Christmas eve at 7pm, excitement spread through the house rapidly and Becky sprang across the living room to the front door and again without thinking a doubtful thought yanked open the door thinking to see TD  and Maggie standing there.  But, when the door came wide open, Becky could see that only Maggie was standing there.  Her beautiful light green jacket and skirt stained red.  I said, “Maggie, what has happened and where Is TD?  Maggie said, “Becky, we were just down the street at the church, and this guy comes running into the church with a gun and starts shooting wildly.  He shot TD immediately and now TD is at the Hospital.  Becky, the paramedics said Paul was shot through the left side of the chest near the heart,  and is bleeding internally.  Becky, TD may not make it.  He is at Mercy General Hospital and is being operated on right now.  I’ve got to go to him right now.  Becky, Paul and I were going to break the news to you tonight, we just got engaged and were going to be married tomorrow on Christmas Day.”

I said, Maggie, “you go on and Paul and I will be there in just a few minutes.”

 TD’s surgery drug on through the evening and well into the night.  After six long hours, a nurse came out and asked to speak to the family of TD Burtrand.  But, TD had no family present and the nurse refused to give his condition.  And at that moment, Paul spoke up and said:  “we are all the family TD has, and this is Maggie, his fiancée.  They were planning to be married tomorrow at noon, less than twelve hours from now.  She has a right to know, and as you can see her clothes bear his blood from when he was shot just this evening.  Please tell her of her fiances’ condition.”

The RN said, “I will have to see if there is a HIPAA waiver for that” and she turned and left us hanging.  Maggie broke down in tears, still begging the nurse for information, even as he RN charged through the double doors back into the hospital’s surgery department, and out of sight.

Five minutes later, a tall man in light blue scrubs with matching hat and shoe covers came through those same double doors and into the waiting room, and gently begin to speak to Maggie.  He said, “ Maggie, there is no waiver of privilege for a finance, but I am going to inform you of your fiances condition anyway.  Miss Browning, TD was shot twice tonight, once in the chest just medially and just distally from the lower right of his heart near his right ventricle.  The bullet penetrated his pulmonary aortic chamber and caused a severe amount of blood loss.  We have repaired that damage, but because of it he had suffered a stroke to his brain.  We won’t know how badly for up to seventy-two hours.”

“Maggie, he second bullet struck TD in the shoulder and also did an enormous amount of damage.  The loss of blood internally from this injury was also devastating.  He lost oxygen supply to the brain for about an hour.  We won’ know exactly how bad the damage will be until about seventy-two hours have passed.  I am sorry the news is so bad for you, we have done all we can do for now.  His recovery Is out of our hands.”

The hours and days passed so slowly, and as the news flashed around the city and then around the nation, the waiting room filled up with friends and well-wishers.  Flowers came in from everywhere, by the ton it seemed.  TD continued to bravely fight against his devastating injuries, but began to lose the battle on December 26^th about 4 am.  He began ‘coding’ and his vital signs plummeted.  His heart was being overwhelmed by demand for oxygen and nourishment, but just was not able to supply the demand.  At 4:32 am, TD’s heart stopped for 3 and one half minutes but was shocked back to full sinus rhythm within two more minutes. 

TD was rushed back into surgery and came out three hours later after internal repairs were made, and TD began making a comeback.  A comeback that refused to relinquish any forward progress.  TD remained in Grave Condition.  That was changed to critical condition for another 15 days at Mercy General Hospital.  It was January 13^th, twenty-one days after being shot that TD was changed from Critical Condition to Serious Condition.  One week later, TD’s condition was changed to Guarded Condition.  After that TD’s condition was changed to Satisfactory Condition, and was finally discharged home on January 31^st.  Happy to be alive, he arrived at the exit door of the Hospital after 35 days, and rising from the wheelchair, stood and said: “we never know when we go through a doorway what space will receive us on the other side.  We cannot see the future enclosed therein.  So we always are optimistic as to the fate we will face.

This past Christmas Eve, Maggie and I were on our way to inform friends that we were engaged and would be marrying on Christmas Day.  We had great news for that day, but someone took it away from us to satisfy their purpose to the exclusion of ours.  But I am here, right now standing before you and I am going to say this, “Maggie and I will now resume our plans to marry, just as soon as we can complete the arrangements.  This time, it is our hope, that our plans will supersede the plans of anyone else who might want to superimpose their plans over on ours.   We want all of you to attend and celebrate our joy with us, and help us get our new union off to a great start.  Please join us if you can.  And now, I will give thanks to all those incredible medical professionals who saved my life inside this building.  The injuries I had were devastating, but some how they pulled me through.  They had the medical knowledge and the ability to use all that knowledge and ability to allow my life to continue.”

“I will conclude my remarks by saying this, there is generally a wonderful connotation of excitement and joy when the doorbell rings.  Its sound magically lifts the expectation of each and every heart that hears it sing out.  Just think what you can do in a single night just by going to visit your friends and loved ones and ringing their Door Bells.  You can bring excitement and joy and lift every heart that dwells inside.  Believe me, if everyone was to go and Ring just One DOORBELL, what a bright world this could be.  Go inside and let your hearts be joyous, and sing glad songs and enjoy the company.  Just go and Ring that Doorbell, and your Hearts will Ring With joy because someone rang their Doorbell.”