I Have No Intention of Saying Good-bye: Parents share their stories of hope and healing after a child's death [Paperback]

Sandy Fox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2001

Five or more years after the death of their children, twenty-five families open their hearts and share stories of courage, hope and their attempts to make sense out of the most unbearable loss of all. What did they do to move on with their lives, to make each day meaningful again, to remember their child? In addition to helping themselves, learn how these parents help others and what advice they give to those still having difficulty living in a world without their child.

Product Details

• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: Writers Club Press (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595161189
• ISBN-13: 978-0595161188
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #436,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The publication of a poem by Sandy Fox at age five started her lifelong career in the writing field. After receiving her B.A. and M.A. in Journalism, she worked for a daily newspaper. In 1970, four years after the birth of her daughter Marcy, Sandy took what she knew how to do so well into the classroom. For 28 years she taught high school journalism and English and produced a state and national award-winning school newspaper as well as winning personal awards for her contributions to the journalism field. She also wrote an historical book on the district in which she worked. In 2001, seven years after her daughter died in a car accident, Sandy wrote "I Have No Intention of Saying Good-bye", stories of hope and healing after a child's death. In 2010, she wrote her second book on surviving grief, "Creating a New Normal...After the Death of a Child," consisting of 80 articles on coping and informational techniques, first hand stories and a large resource section. The book won three national awards for it's writing and content. Sandy also speaks to groups and at national bereavement conferences on surviving grief. She and her husband live in Scottsdale, AZ.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Stories from Compelling People, June 8, 2003

By 

Elizabeth ", Zumaya Publications LLC" (Austin, TX, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Have No Intention of Saying Good-bye: Parents share their stories of hope and healing after a child's death (Paperback)

The death of a loved one is a harsh blow. Whether it comes suddenly, in an accident or natural disaster, or after a long battle with illness, the survivors are left with an emptiness that defies description. And when the loved one is a child--no matter how old--that emptiness, says author Sandy Fox, never goes away.

Ms. Fox's 27-year-old daughter Marcy was killed in an automobile accident just when life had begun to fully open before her. The driver that caused her death has never been found.

"When your child dies, you change," Ms. Fox writes in Chapter 5: "Private Thoughts on Healing." "The person you were before is gone. The life you had before is no longer possible."

"The heartache that comes when the natural order of things is changed, when your child dies before you," adds her ex-husband Jess, Marcy's father, "is unfathomable."

In I HAVE NO INTENTION OF SAYING GOOD-BYE Ms. Fox has compiled the stories of 24 other families devastated by the loss of one or more children, revealing the similarity of the pain they suffer and the many and varied ways they dealt with it. It is an enlightening study of grief and redemption, of anger and epiphany.

This is not the first book to address the issues of mourning or the death of children. What catches the reader's attention, though, is the simplicity and honest with which Ms. Fox and those she interviewed reveal their deepest and, sometimes, darkest pain. The result is an enlightening and emotional journey that leaves one both aching for these people and applauding their strength and courage.

Whether you've lost a child yourself or know someone who has, Ms. Fox offers insights into the many ways people deal--or don't--with that loss. For those fortunate enough not to have suffered this particular pain, her book will provide education in how to respond when someone else has that comes from the one source that can't be refuted. I HAVE NO INTENTION OF SAYING GOOD-BYE should be on the reference shelves of any professional who confronts the grief-stricken.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of I Have No Intention Of Saying Goodbye by Sandy Fo, July 29, 2001

By 

Alison Roberto (Fresno, ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Have No Intention of Saying Good-bye: Parents share their stories of hope and healing after a child's death (Paperback)

After my four year old son died in May of 2001 I almost immediately began reading books on healing after the loss of a child. I found this book with it's insights of so many parents to be of great comfort to me. Knowing that I was not alone in this sea of uncertainty was so helpful. I would highly recommend this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Are Not Alone, June 24, 2001

By 

Bernard Faller (Louisville, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Have No Intention of Saying Good-bye: Parents share their stories of hope and healing after a child's death (Paperback)

Nothing in life prepares one for losing a child. But for those of us who have lost a child, there is much to learn from the shattered worlds of the parents who have come before us. I Have No Intention of Saying Good-bye, by Sandy Fox, opens a window into the post-death lives of twenty-four parents who have lost a child or multiple children. Parents whose children have died often feel very alone. If you are such a parent, this book will help you see how much you have in common with other parents, and will give you a glimpse into how you might develop a meaningful future out of today's darkness.