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Pastoral Care
A Guardian AngelHow one compassionate chaplain helped a distraught mom when her daughter was shot and rushed to our Trauma CenterAllie Dickinson was distraught, hyperventilating and shaking uncontrollably. She felt helpless as her pregnant daughter, Casey Burns, was wheeled into Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest’s Trauma Center after being accidentally shot in the head by a hunter’s stray bullet. Only minutes after being taken to a private room to wait for news on Burns’ condition, Dickinson thought the worst when a hospital employee entered with an empathetic look on his face. “Little did I know that he would be the man to help our family get through this difficult time,” Dickinson says.The man was Charles Orth, a Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network staff chaplain, whose first concern was to address the condition of Dickinson’s health. “He assured me that Casey was alive and in good hands,” the North Whitehall Township woman says. “He found a doctor to examine me and I was eventually able to calm down enough to learn about the care Casey was receiving.” Orth served as a liaison between the medical staff and family members. He explained Burns needed immediate surgery to remove a piece of skull that became lodged in her brain when the bullet ricocheted off her head. “Even when delivering such unsettling news, he spoke calmly and was extremely compassionate,” Dickinson says. “We prayed together and he assured us that God would watch over and protect Casey and her baby.” Following a successful three-hour surgery and over the course of Burns’ hospital stay, Orth would visit daily to get an update on her condition, make sure Dickinson was eating enough food and getting enough sleep and to pray. “Even though we were worried that Casey wouldn’t be able to walk or talk again, Charlie kept telling us to have faith and never stop believing,” Dickinson remembers. Only three days after being shot, Casey Burns encountered a breakthrough. “Our prayers were answered,” Dickinson says. “She was able to open her eyes and respond to commands.” Soon, she would talk, and only nine days after arriving at the hospital, Burns was able to go home knowing that both she and her unborn baby would be fine. Six months later, with her 3-month-old daughter Hailey Alexis in her arms, Burns and Dickinson returned to thank the doctors and nurses who cared for them. Orth received special treatment from Dickinson. “I gave Charlie a big hug,” Dickinson says. “It was like two old friends meeting again.” To Dickinson, Charles Orth is an extraordinary friend, the one who provided the spiritual and emotional support she so desperately needed. “I cannot comprehend going through this ordeal without him by my side,” she says. “He was my guardian angel.” This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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What You Need to Know About Your or Your Loved One's VisitOur Patient and Visitor Guide answers many of your questions including what to pack, important phone numbers and making your health care wishes known to your doctors.
You and Your Faith CommunityIn respect of your privacy, we will only contact your faith community with your permission. Volunteers will visit you when you’re a patient and explain the availability of our chaplains to you. If you would like to be listed as a member of a congregation, please let us know and we will contact your faith leader.
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