I Still Dream Big: Stories of Teens Living with Chronic Illness [Paperback]

MSW Penny B. Wolf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 29, 2009

Kelly was a seventeen-year-old star of her high school basketball team . . . Gevon was a twelve-year-old who played linebacker for his middle school football team . . . Crystle was a nineteen-year-old college student with big plans for the future . . . One day you're hanging out with friends at the mall, playing basketball at school, dreaming about your latest crush, and the next you're in the hospital hooked up to tubes and wondering whether or not you'll ever feel normal again. Getting sick was never part of the plan. Lupus. Diabetes. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Crohn's. Multiple Sclerosis. No matter what the diagnosis, teens with chronic illnesses share one thing in common: their lives have been changed forever by illness. Seventeen young adults share their personal stories in I Still Dream Big. Their tenacity and spirit are an inspiration to us all. The voices of the teens profiled in this book are filled with hope and optimism despite the very real challenges they face. While some of their goals may have changed, these kids still have high hopes and big dreams for the future. Above all, they refuse to be defined by illness. Seventeen-year-old history buff, Jamie, sums it up with these words, "You define yourself, not something written in a medical chart". When someone gets sick, family and friends are affected as well. The stories of these seventeen teens are important, not only for teens with chronic illness, but for the people who love them and want so much to understand the emotional and physical challenges their best friends and loved ones face. I Still Dream Big is a celebration of life and a reminder to all of us to hold onto our own dreams for the future-and to remember to DREAM BIG.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Penny Wolf currently works as a hospital social worker and freelance writer. After earning her masters degree in social work, she began her career as a juvenile probation counselor in Austin, Texas. Diagnosed with lupus at the age of thirty-two, much of Ms. Wolf's work for the past several years has been focused on educating and counseling individuals and families living with chronic illness. As Programs and Services Director for the Piedmont Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America, she had the opportunity to develop a support group for teens living with lupus. It was the tenacity and optimism of these teens that inspired her to write this book. A native of Detroit, Ms. Wolf currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, Tom.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (October 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1449030963
• ISBN-13: 978-1449030964
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #803,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for any young person diagnosed with a chronic illness, January 8, 2010

By 

Z. Hidalgo (NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Still Dream Big: Stories of Teens Living with Chronic Illness (Paperback)

This book really hit close to home. I was a 17 year old in High School when i was diagnosed with Lupus. I had never heard of the illness before and learned alot of my information by searching the internet. The internet however, does not tell you how to deal with everyday real issues that teens with a chronic illness face. This book is great because it deals with a large range of issues. Teens share their stories about about how they handled dating, their love/ hate relationships with medication, and how they find the strength to continue to plan their futures. It is an inspiring book because it shows that there is a life after a diagnosis.