I have spent a lot of time over the past two weeks visiting a friend and church member who is in intensive care at a local hospital. For those of you that know me well, you know that this is not the most comfortable place for me to be. I am not good with needles and really most medical procedures kinda turn my stomach and make me feel faint. The reasons why are long and sordid and frankly we don’t have enough “couch” time together to unpack all that.

My recent time spent in the ICU has been quite different and I have learned a lot about myself and how we all should be preparing to care for each other. My friend was incredibly blessed (or maybe lucky?) in that a “good Samaritan” found him after he experienced a heart attack while jogging in his neighborhood. This good Samaritan called 911 and the EMTs were on the scene quickly and were able to keep him alive.

The story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 explains how two religious leaders pass by a man who was left beaten in the street.  These men pass by for religious reasons not wanting to defile themselves in order to partake in the evening worship service. A Samaritan man, the outcast of his day, stopped and tended to the man thus keeping him alive and providing the medical care he needed to heal.

Visiting my friend in the ICU has made this story more real for me. I have yet to know how I would respond if I came across someone lying in the street. However, I think I would be more like the two religious leaders who pass by the man in need than the Samaritan. For me, it’s not for religious reasons or culture, race or political affiliation. It’s not about them but it’s about me. I have not taken the time to consider what I should do and I haven’t taken the time to be properly trained (or update my training) in emergency first aid procedures.

The new “Hands-Only CPR” is primarily attributed to keeping my friend alive. Back in the day, the CPR procedure that I learned involved chest compressions then mouth to mouth breathing into the person’s lungs. Today, medical professionals are reporting a much higher success rate with this new hands-only CPR procedure due to the constant chest compressions. We all need to learn this new CPR method as we never know when we will be called upon to be that good Samaritan! You can learn more at the Hands-Only CPR website.

Another lesson to be learned from my visits to the ICU is that we all need a family medical readiness plan! “Family Medical Readiness” will consist mainly of questions and considerations that may help your family during a significant health challenge. Have you had those often difficult, but critically important end-of-life discussions such as life support and organ donation? Have you documented those decisions in an Advanced Medical Directive (AMD) or living will? My friend and his wife took the time to have these discussions and officially document them and because they did, it has taken a lot (and I mean a lot!) of stress from her in working with the hospital staff and administration.

The final lesson that I have learned is how we all can help care for a family in crisis. I am struck by how stressful it is for families in the ICU not only to deal with a loved one in medical crisis but more so to deal with their friends and family that constantly call for updates and encouragement. A great tool that my friend’s wife has been using is a website called CaringBridge. A profile is created for the loved one in crisis and then your friends and family can subscribe for updates as well as leave prayers, encouragement and notes in an online guest book. In my friend’s case, his wife is able to send out emails via her cell phone to close family members a few times a day. She enlisted someone else in the family to take those updates and post them in the CaringBridge journal that then sends out email updates to the subscribers.

Being a good Samaritan starts long before we encounter someone in need. The Good Samaritan was prepared and ready to get involved. I know I’ve got some work to do. Will you join me?