Modern Day "Gypsies"

I shared with my daughter-in-law who is about to deliver another child a memory from long ago.

First, though, I want to share what preceded the memory. We were talking about the uncertainty about the actual time of the birth. While we sort of hoped that it would occur prior to Christmas so that she could be home at Christmas, I told her not to worry. I told her that we would bring her the meal we prepared and we would wall march to her room.  You can imagine the entire Toomey delegation walking into the hospital and up to the maternity ward. It would include eight adults and five grandchildren. One could think that the hospital may well have had a problem with this onslaught of people, even if it were Christmas Day.

I told her that it reminded me of a memory from very long ago, as in 40 years. When Joan was working in the neo-natal unit at the Children's Hospital in Oakland, CA, a member of a gypsy clan gave birth to a baby that required acute care. From the perspective of the clan, the birth was not an event for just the parents. The clan had to be involved. They bunked out in tents in the parking lot and insisted on visiting privileges that required creative arrangements to meet safety regulations as well as protocols for patient care. It was achieved and all were happy.

And, I saw the image of the Toomey clan providing St. Luke-Roosevelt Hospital with the same type of challenge to deal with us!