Customer Reviews

Gary's Wish List..."There is more about me than cancer."

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This is a can't put down easy to read book.The story is a wonderful tribute to a son who battles cancer with humor and courage and a family that faces every emotion in trying to cope. It is a heartwarming story. One I will read again! I recommend it for cancer patients, families and friends, as well as others. It will touch your heart! The author has written an excellent book from her heart. Thanks!

Gary was sixteen when he was diagnosed with leukemia. His oncologist recommended immediate chemotherapy, and the monitoring of Gary's reaction to the medication.

Gary's Wish List tells the story of Gary's remaining time on this earth. His mother, author and educator Mary Louise Selph deftly discusses all the ramifications of learning of her son's diagnosis. The guilt, the sadness, the feelings of defeat and desperation, the shock, confusion and inadequacy. And the anger and loss of faith.

Gary's words, in letters he wrote to friends and family, along with conversations with his immediate family shine a light of understanding and courage in the face of such a huge disaster. We learn how Gary finds the means to still be a teenager...and their reaction when the chemo wasn't working.

Pneumonia, weight loss, hair loss and weakness follow as well as a near-death experience from the chemo that was designed to strengthen Gary for a bone marrow transplant. During the brush with death Gary had an out-of-body experience that enabled him to relate everything that happened even though he was unconscious! All that was followed by the transplant, and protective isolation and radiation.

The treatment helped, but only for a while. Gary succumbed after nine months of a valiant fight. His funeral was held on what would have been his first day as a high school senior.

Gary's legacy is courage and the sacredness of life. Gary's Wish List is another. Mary Louise Selph has found the courage to write a page-turner of a book that enables the reader to walk in her shoes, and Gary's, too. In this reviewer's opinion, Gary's Wish List is a means to find peace through understanding!

I could not put Gary's Wish List down even though I was aware that Gary didn't survive. The author takes you on a journey that you'll never forget. The reader feels like they are sitting in the passenger's seat with the hero in the story. You laugh with the family, you ache during their tragedy, and when you've read the last sentence, one realizes that life is beautiful and that God is good. This book is a must read for anyone working with patients and those who are rearing children.

This book is helpful to families dealing with a crisis related to cancer or other life threatening illnesses.

I heard about the book, Gary's Wish List and was curious, so I purchased it and read the entire book in one sitting. It took hours to finish the story but I couldn't put it down...the author takes you on a journey with her son and family that you shall never forget. Gary is a teenage boy diagnosed with leukemia. His personal journal and his mom's journal capture the essence of how a patient and care giver approach the same illness with different attitudes and concerns. Gary's Wish List is a must read for everyone. It will help you understand how to help families in crisis, realize that God is with you even though it looks doubtful, and through the author's unveiling of her true feelings you can comprehend her anger and bravery as she worked her way through the grief process to lead a productive life. Gary's Wish List is an actual list of the teenager when he was in a protective environment. Gary's list and this story is one I shall always remember.