Believe it or not! Story by an inventor

Cimino-Brescia fistular is a type of vascular access for hemodialysis for chronic kidney patients. It is a surgical connection between an artery and a vein in the forearm. This procedure was invented by Brescia MJ and Cimino JE in 1966 and still is the most effective method [Wikipedia]. Dr. Michael J. Brescia and Dr. James E. Cimino released this device to the world without a patent so that every kidney patient can have easy access to this life-saving procedure. Both doctors lost many millions of dollars in giving up the patent but saved tens of thousands of lives! So these are exceptional people. Subsequently Dr. Brescia left medical science to care for the sick and dying, full-time.

The following story is told by Dr. Brescia in the highly recommended book " The Realm Beyond "by Rosemary Altea [2007 published By Rider]. Normally I would treat such an account with skepticism but coming out from a man who shuns fame and wealth to serve the ill and dying, it is hard not to believe.

There was this frail looking young woman found along a New York highway and was brought to Calvary Hospital , a place co-founded by Dr. Brescia for the sick and terminally ill. She was in a hopeless condition. Her skin was infected by fungus, her teeth rotten and infected and worst of all she had HIV. And she could not speak nor respond in any way.There were no identification papers on her.

The hospital took care of her physically while Dr. Brescia tried to tend to her spirit.Everyday Dr. Brescia would talk to her with care and concern but she was "dead", and gave no reply or any response. Weeks went by and one day her condition turned bad. It seemed she would not last any longer. The good doctor stayed with her the whole day, trying to communicate but she was unresponsive. In the evening there was an ice storm and he went home to rest. However he could not sleep thinking about this dying woman. He braved the ice storm and returned to her bedside.

This time she had breathing problems and soon it will be over. Then suddenly she moved a little and her eyes opened slowly. For the first time , in a clear voice she called his name and said, "..I will speak your name to God." Later she died.

A couple of hours after that Dr. Brescia went to look at her dead body one last time but she could not be found. The hospital records show that a Marin Funeral Home took her from the morgue. It was strange. Who had called the Funeral Home? Why would they come so quickly in the midst of an ice storm? It gets more strange. The doctor with the hospital team check for this Marin Funeral Home but there is no such home in the whole of New York !

Who is this woman and where did she go? Many believe she is an angel sent to teach us about dying and living.