# The ICU patient everyone had given up on

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-icu-flu-lady-recovered
- Themes: uncertainty, illness, hope, chanting
- Life situations: loved one in intensive care, terminal prognosis

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Ajahn Brahm is called to chant for a woman in ICU at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital with severe flu — septic, bloated, the nurses giving her little chance — hoping at least to give her a good death. A couple of weeks later her husband phones and invites him to the house: she has made a total recovery.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

there was this one lady I went to see once at the ICU at Charlie gardeners she was in the ICU she moon I was one of these cases with a flu and no really really bad cases septic all over bloated no honor lasts and a few breaths can you please come in and do some science that isn't charging for this lady and couple weeks ago she looked toward intents and purposes a goner you know the nurses said no I'm not much chance for this lady but you know a bit of chanting a bit of presence of a good mug a bit of spiritual uplift you know would give her a good death couple weeks later got a phone call from her husband can you come round to the house and she was perfectly well total recovery

## Teaching point

It's not miracles — life is totally uncertain; don't trust predictions of how long anyone has.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

The nurses gave the septic, bloated patient little chance, and Ajahn Brahm came hoping only to ease a good death. Two weeks later her husband invited him round: she had recovered completely. He insists it was no miracle, and chanting is no substitute for intensive care. The lesson is humility about forecasts. Nobody truly knows what comes next.

## Source

- [Uncertainty | Ajahn Brahm | 15-07-2011](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pswsVGVdISY) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 16:40 to 17:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pswsVGVdISY&t=1000s