Trauma and ministry collide following NIU tragedy
Published Feb 21, 2008
DOWNERS GROVE—There wasn’t much Wassif Rahman and his wife could do when they rushed to their 19-year-old daughter’s rescue Feb. 14. Rahman said, “I couldn’t think straight. I just wanted to get there.”
Only medical professionals could tend to Unnum Rahman’s severe injuries incurred at the hand of gunman Steven Kazmierczak when he opened fire on her and others in a Northern Illinois University classroom, injuring 18 people—fatally wounding five—before turning the weapon on himself. The couple from Plainfield hurried to the DeKalb university before their daughter was transported to the Level One trauma center of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. Wassif drove while his wife was airlifted with their daughter to the DuPage County medical facility. Unnum underwent surgery to address soft tissue injuries to her head, with special concern for her eye.
Rahman retraced his steps and shared his thoughts during a Feb. 15 press conference at the Downers Grove hospital. He said his daughter didn’t realize she had been shot until after the sophomore business major had exited the auditorium.
During the press conference, Rahman was grateful that his daughter was alive and recovering. He acknowledged that there were some parents grieving the loss of a child. Rahman added, “My heart goes out to all the parents. I thank God I am in this position. There are other parents out there that are not in my position that are in my prayers and my heart goes out to them.”
Two other seriously injured students were transported to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital as well. As of Feb. 19, Maria Ruiz Santana of Elgin was in serious condition with injuries to the head, neck and chest. Sherman Yau from Naperville was in fair condition, recovering from a wound to his left shoulder. Unnum Rahman has been transferred to University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center for further treatment.
While Michael Iwanicki, medical director of trauma service and chairman of the Department of Surgery, and his staff treated the physical wounds, there were also four chaplains standing by ready to start the emotional healing process. The Rev. Anna Lee Hisey-Pierson, staff chaplain, told the Catholic Explorer that the typical shift of two chaplains was doubled that evening to deal with the additional needs of the families and staff as two of the patients went into surgery. She said, with Level One traumas, “Sometimes we need to calm patients, sometimes we need to calm families. But we definitely always support families and journey with them throughout the process.”
An impromptu prayer service was held in the hospital’s chapel. The minister for the Church of the Brethren pointed to a Feb. 15 prayer service as an example of how the chaplains also addressed the spiritual needs of staff that had been affected by the tragedy as well. According to Rev. Hisey-Pierson, a nurse’s daughter, who is a Northern Illinois University student and was not physically injured during the tragedy, prayed alongside her mother on staff at the Downers Grove.
Prayer is essential in this unique situation, added Father Addison Hart, associate pastor of the Newman Catholic Student Center/Christ the Teacher University Parish at Northern Illinois University, during a Feb. 15 telephone conversation with the Explorer. Students, staff and community members were attending services at the parish in the tragedy’s aftermath. Meanwhile, the center’s priests and other clergymen from the Rockford Diocese were ministering at the hospitals, vigils and on campus.
Father Hart said students were moving from a state of shock to grief as funerals were starting to be held for 20-year-old Daniel Parmenter from Westchester, Catalina Garcia, 20, from Cicero, Ryanne Mace, 19, from Carpentersville, Julianna Gehant, a 32-year-old student from Mendota, and Gayle Dubowski, 20, from Carol Stream.
During this horrific time, ministers “want to show how faith can embrace a terrifically painful situation,” he said. Father Hart pointed out that Jesus carried his own cross as an example of how faith can sustain a person in horrendous times. He added, “We can transcend this. We just have to deal with the messiness of reality.”
