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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a good read, a great story., January 3, 2010
This review is from: Second Ticket to the Dance: Nightwires from the Edge of Life (Paperback)
This book by Dr. Kalmanoff seems, to me, to be two books combined into one. The first, and probably the more common of the two, traces the author's life, discussing his childhood, sickness, recovery, and redefined outlook on life. The second, however, is a a far more novel idea. The second recurring idea is the intersection of the author, a transplantee, and the family of the organ donor who saved the author's life. The book shows, through a series of e mails, how the relationship between the two families both provided an unexpected source of support, as well as a way for the author to thank the deceased son for his unbelievable gift. This supportive relationship is fascinating to see as an outsiders , especially through the actual e mails between the author, the donor mother, and the donor father. Concluding, the best thing about this book is Dr. Kalmanoff. The stories themselves are wonderful, but only through the never ending positivism and appreciation of the author can they be presented as effectively as they are in "second ticket to the dance."
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hope Is Eternal!!, December 28, 2009
How fortunate we are for Kal persevering to write down his experience for others to share in. His thoughts and emotions through this very special time of his life are spellbinding and thought provoking. SECOND TICKET TO THE DANCE keeps your mind focused on the real meaning of life itself and helped me take an inventory of how much there is on earth to be grateful for. I read every page with renewed excitement as to how it would all turn out. Reading about Lucas Cromwell, the heart donor, gave me an insight into the person and his family that had to be willing to suffer unimaginable pain so that Kal might live. As a result, I have become an organ donor, talked to my family about my wishes, suggested to them that they also become donors and educated myself about what this really means. Especially interesting was the fact that even if your organs cannot be donated, your skin tissue can be and medical researchers are performing many miracles with skin grafts. There was some repetition in the book, but that just made me know how important this was to the author....and I paid more attention to the meaning of the words This is MUST reading for everyone who doubts the power of hope and wants to feel the magic of miracles in life. Sally Graham Bayer
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life on the ege of death, death restoring life, May 28, 2010
This review is from: Second Ticket to the Dance: Nightwires from the Edge of Life (Paperback)
The author is a man that had a failing heart and only a transplant could save his life, which could have ended at any time. At a point where his future looked the bleakest, a heart became available in San Francisco while he was in Italy. After a rapid and eventful journey, the transplant was successful, but as Kalmanoff learned, the surgery is the easiest part of the process. This book is in part a series of e-mail messages sent and received by Kalmanoff as he faces a rapid demise, to be saved at almost the last minute by a fatal gift of generosity. The remainder is largely information about the young man that died to provide Kalmanoff a chance at a second life. The messages take you inside the life of a terminally ill man, his thoughts, struggles and emotions as he rapidly goes from near death to near health. There are descriptions of the enormous amount of medication and monitoring that follows the surgery as well as the thoughts and emotions of the people that love the man that died so tragically. Making organs available for transplantation is one of the few ways that life can arise directly from death and is also one of the ways that some sense can be made out of a tragedy. As you read this book, it is clear that organ donation is one of the most selfless and valuable gifts that one can make. It is a way to make a valuable contribution to society and this book is a strong argument for signing up to be an organ donor.
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