My BOOKS
Accidental Courage, Boundless Dreams
Accidental Courage, Boundless Dreams is the extraordinary true story of one family that suffered the "unthinkable" yet triumphed over tragedy. When nine-month-old Jonathan Barzach died from spinal muscular atrophy, his family struggled with unbearable pain. As they searched for ways to heal and for ways to celebrate his life, they remembered seeing a little girl in a wheelchair at a local playground sadly watching the other children play. With an inner strength they never knew they had and haunted by the sorrow in that little girl's eyes, the Barzach family led a community effort to develop Jonathan's Dream. This special playground where children of all abilities laugh, play and grow together was built with the help of more than 1,000 volunteers. Its impact led a passionate group of parents and professionals to establish Boundless Playgrounds, the first national nonprofit organization dedicated to making fully integrated, universally accessible playgrounds a reality for children everywhere.
Taking My Breath Away
When nineteen-year-old Anthony asks seventeen-year-old Felicia on a date, he knows she is pretty, personable, funny, and has a great smile. He also knows she has cystic fibrosis. This couple is no different than other young people who discover a fondness for one another as they date and map out possible futures together-except Anthony and Felicia have no idea how long that future will last.
In this memoir, Felicia and Anthony open their hearts and candidly discuss Felicia's cystic fibrosis and its effect on their relationship which includes fun, romantic dinners; walks on the beach; parties; amusement parks; bonfires and pig roasts; and little love notes and texts. It also consists of respirators, emergency department visits, incessant coughing, medications, trepidation, and uncertainty represented by two words-cystic fibrosis.
Taking My Breath Away narrates a mixture of poignant moments and humorous anecdotes that combine the fun-filled experiences of Felicia and Anthony's romantic relationship with Felicia's more serious medical situation. Through these stories, the authors deliver equally important inspirational and universal messages about responsibility, commitments to living in the now, and being truthful to oneself and to others.
