From Publishers Weekly
Galli's moving account of a family tragedy unfolds as an existential life-or-death drama. At age 17, on July 4, 1998, his son, Jeffrey, dived into a backyard swimming pool, nearly drowned and severely damaged his spinal column; the boy was completely paralyzed from the neck down. Faced with the prognosis that Jeff would probably spend his future in a wheelchair and on a respirator, requiring round-the-clock care, Galli, who's a lawyer, and his wife, Toby, initially were strongly inclined to remove their son's life supportAand Jeff himself told his parents he wanted to die. One doctor at the hospital believed that ending Jeff's life was unthinkable, but other doctors disagreed, and at the Gallis' request the hospital began the review process that could have led to approval of the decision to terminate the boy's life. But within days Jeff had a change of heart; meanwhile, Galli, having read inspirational books by recent quadriplegics Christopher Reeve and Travis Roy, and having weighed the options, reversed his position of being "a strong advocate for Jeffrey's death." This gut-wrenchingly candid book, which focuses on the first 11 days of the Gallis' ordeal, is likely to arouse controversy and sharply divided reactions, especially since the Gallis, in the first agonizing days before Jeff regained speech, were willing to make the live-or-die decision without informing their paralyzed son. Yet this eloquent story of heartbreak and hope is ultimately life-affirming. Jeff, who graduates from high school this spring, transformed his father, who ruefully notes: "In the end [Jeff] even managed to push aside the only force that was actually strong enoughAor weak enoughAto kill him: his dad." BOMC featured selection; author tour. (June.-- even managed to push aside the only force that was actually strong enoughAor weak enoughAto kill him: his dad." BOMC featured selection; author tour. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
YA-In one terrible instant, on July 4, 1998, the lives of the Galli family changed forever. Their 17-year-old son dove into a pool and broke his neck when his head hit the bottom. So begins the account of the next 10 days in Jeffrey's life as told by his father. When the Gallis were informed that their son's fracture had resulted in quadriplegia, their world crumbled. As doctors, specialists, social workers, and clergy tried to explain the future that Jeffrey was facing, his parents started to consider another possibility. Perhaps life under those conditions was not the best choice for their son-maybe the best option for Jeffrey was death. This is an honest and heartrending account of a family facing a dire reality. The author discusses the facts of life for a quadriplegic: the dependency on a ventilator; the inability to feed, wash, or even scratch oneself; the total reliance on someone else for every bodily need. As Jeffrey is reeling through the first days, his parents quietly continue their quest for legal permission to end his life if they so decide. Young adults seldom consider how radically their lives can change in a split second of misfortune. This book will strongly point out that possibility, but, more importantly, it reinforces the strength of the human spirit, the will to live, and the compassion of one's friends and neighbors. Rescuing Jeffrey, like the story of Christopher Reeves to which the author often refers, shows how overwhelming tragedy can be borne with dignity and grace.
Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
