A SAVING MESSAGE

BY CATHERINE BAKER

AT THE AGE of seven months, our son, Austin, was diagnosed with a deformed skull by his regular pediatrician. It was a visible deformity, evident just by looking at him. At the time, although I'd grown up attending a Christian Science Sunday school, I didn't consider myself a student of Christian Science and relied solely on medical care for both our children. I'd drifted away, partly because I was reluctant to trust prayer-based Christian Science treatment as a reliable means of care for our young daughter and newborn son.

The pediatrician told my husband and me that Austin's skull was not expanding properly, and was concerned because he said this problem could affect our son's mental capacity. He referred us to a specialist, a plastic surgeon who could perform a procedure to correct the visible abnormality, as well as prevent future difficulties. The plastic surgeon talked to us about the procedure he believed Austin would need, a surgical procedure that would be invasive and risky. But if it wasn't done, he said, our son could begin showing signs of mental retardation. Before leaving the office, my husband and I scheduled our son for preoperative testing, including an MRI at the local hospital.

Months earlier, a family member had given me a fresh copy of Science and Health. I was about halfway through reading the book when this surgery was recommended, and I decided to take the book with me when I took Austin for his preoperative testing. Since I knew the testing would take a while, I thought the book would be good company. Besides, it was just small enough to fit into my purse.