New York City - Part One

We got to the airport, checked in, and headed to the gate for a Continental Airlines flight to Newark, NJ. Right in front of the gate, we bumped into our old friend John, one of the head pilots for Continental. He was there to visit briefly and pray with us. We discovered he was the one responsible for the 3 first class tickets. After a short visit with John and some prayer together, it was time to get on the plane. We had just sat down in our seats, when a stewardess tapped Wes and me on our shoulders. She said, "I'm sorry for the terrible inconvenience, but one of our pilots needs to take a jump seat in first class, and since the three of you are on stand-by, one of you will have to give up your seat, and take another flight." Wes tried to explain our situation to her, but all she would say to us was "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do". Wes asked if we could all get off the plane and take the next flight, and she said, "No, there are not enough seats available today. So 2 of you will have to stay on this flight, and one of you will have to get off." Wes and I frantically discussed with one another what we should do, and hastily made the decision that Wes should get off and I should stay with Daniel. He left before I even had time to think.

As soon as he left, questions started flooding into my brain. I had no idea how to get from Newark, NJ to New York City. We had NO reservations of any kind, and nobody there knew we were coming. I figured I could get off the plane in Newark and try to find the nearest hotel. But I was getting more anxious by the minute. I certainly knew I wouldn't be able to find my way around New York City by myself. To make matters worse, Daniel's sickness and pain had been getting steadily worse over the last week, and he had been complaining of severe headaches.

Meanwhile, Wes left the plane and started walking around outside the gate. Several minutes went by, and then our friend, John, ran up to him. He had forgotten that there was something he wanted to give us, and so he had run back to the gate hoping to catch us before the plane departed. He saw Wes standing there, and said, "What in the world are you doing out here??" Wes explained the situation to him. John said, "Let me see what I can do." John walked right onto the plane. In my seat, I turned my head around and there he was. He walked up to the pilot who had taken Wes's seat and pulled out a badge to show him who he was. John said, "Do you think there is any way you would be willing to take a jump seat on the next flight? You see, the man who was sitting in your seat was on this plane by my authority, because his child needs a life-saving surgery in New York City." The pilot listened patiently to the story, and finally said, "Sure, by all means, I can take the next flight." And he got up and walked out! John gave me a hug and said good-bye and a few minutes later, Wes was back on the plane.

We were amazed at what had just happened. If John had not been there and come running back to give us the forgotten items, then Wes would not have made it on that plane. God was definitely at work. We landed in Newark about 5 hours later, and we were told to get on a train leaving the airport which would take us right into New York City. It was a fairly short ride. We were underground when we got off the train. We walked up a long flight of stairs, and through a door leading us to the outside. Our eyes had to adjust to the bright sunlight and right in front of us, stood the Empire State Building! We had brought a stroller for Daniel to sit in, and a few pieces of luggage. We stood there on the sidewalk, just trying to take it all in. Finally, we talked with one another about what to do next. We decided to call the hospital using Wes's cellphone. Since it was Sunday, all the medical offices were closed. Wes explained to the hospital operator our situation. She was extremely rude (the first of several rude people we would meet in NYC, unfortunately). But eventually she connected us with someone who was more helpful. They gave us a few names of hotels close to the hospital. We called information and got the number to one of them - the Franklin Hotel had a vacancy. We hailed a cab which took us to the hotel.

The hotel was very old, but nice and stylish (and quite expensive!). We were thankful to be close to the hospital. That night, we watched "The Wiggles" with Daniel. He loved it. But he was in a lot of pain, and he kept complaining that his head hurt. We had brought some over-the-counter pain reliever, but that's all we could give him until the next day. It was a very long night. The next morning, we got up early, and got ready to visit Beth Israel Hospital and Dr. Kothbauer for the first time. My nerves were stretched as tight as a drum.