This heart-wrenching and triumphant love story is a tale of advocacy and caregiving. Donna’s husband, David, stumbled into their bedroom, his hand covering a blood-filled eye from a brain hemorrhage. Donna called 9-1-1. David slipped into a coma. At that moment, Donna was thrust onto the path of caregiver for her best friend and the love of her life. In her debut memoir, Donna shares how a … neurosurgeon said that David would make a “great organ donor.” She writes of arrogant doctors, uncaring visitors, insensitive ambulance drivers, and problematic nurses. She also tells of the many compassionate doctors, nurses, therapists, staff, strangers, family members, and friends who helped them on their journey. Donna compellingly describes her ability to appear positive as she experiences the horror of making life-or-death decisions. As her world crashes, she credits laughter as her lifesaver. More than thirteen years later, Donna and David are living a “new normal” together.
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Prisoners Without Bars is a beautiful and inspiring book. The author becomes her husband’s caregiver when, in a moment of time, life changes dramatically. She is courageous, loyal and driven … always by what is best for him at each fork in the road of survival and recovery. This story is a genuine one – the strength of a family, friends and a support network. As I read, I remained in awe of both the author and her husband’s (the patient) strength, love and resiliency. A MUST READ!
Author Donna O’Donnell Figurski approaches her subject with clear-eyed honesty and an accessible writing style. She and her husband, David, an accomplished professor at Columbia in the molecular sciences, lived a seemingly enchanted existence that included a close-knit family, satisfying careers and an upscale lifestyle. Their circumstances changed in an instant with David’s traumatic brain injury.
“The past was obviously gone, and life as we knew it would never again be the same,” Donna acknowledges. Throughout the ordeal of David’s recovery, “I had to believe that David would get better and that our lives would return to normal.”
One gains the sense that Donna’s sheer unwavering determination and belief that David would survive played no small part in his remarkable (if not complete) recovery. Obstacles presented themselves from the beginning when David was rushed to the hospital after collapsing in pain with a bout of blurry vision. One significant lesson came immediately when Donna discovered that paramedics couldn’t — or wouldn’t — take her to the hospital of her choice. A second big jolt occurred when a doctor declared that her husband was in “good shape.” As she began to feel relief, the M.D. followed up with: “He’ll make a good organ donor.”
Donna recounts the family’s ordeal from her perspective as the primary caregiver. Many readers will no doubt respond to the book as did Cyndy Feasel, who cared for her late husband, Grant Feasel of the Seattle Seahawks: “Donna has been a great teacher and example for me. I appreciate her zeal for knowledge and her helping others through their hardships.”
Reading this book now. And definitely keeps one’s interest. Look for more once have finished reading!
Update with the finally review. Here goes . . .
Tis a memoir about two people and their lives. Let’s call them the “Extraordinaires.”
A lot of wonderful feedback has already been provided about this story. That’s a great thing!
And it proves my selection choice for this read was right on! I just love a good “show me” non-fiction story; especially, when seeing its characters and scenes come alive. This form of writing broadens one’s insight into another’s journey.
After reading this book, I learned a lot about the Figurski family (a.k.a the Extraordinaires). “Prisoners without Bars,” is descriptive in nature . . . teaching us the importance of family bonding, the massive role of a caregiver, how tragedy creeps in to rip a family apart, with its horrid crippling effects of one’s illness (in this case TBI), and its determination to push forward through the hurdles of destruction. And how that struggle to overcome takes love, determination, and togetherness . . . hitting a home-run to defeat its toxicity. For certain, the title was a prefect mix! The illness does take the victim and its caregiver as hostages; whereas they’re “Prisoners” inside its claws . . . captured without bars.
One will have to write a full storybook to tell the true beauty inside this memoir. When reading those pages, it takes one on an educational, enlightening, and inspiring journey (hitting high roads, acrossing rough patches, and facing hurdles, and cradles). When I took that walk (alongside this author), I found we were laughing, crying together, and embracing the pain.
David, I salute you for speaking out and opening up (at the end), and the spectacular comeback you’ve made! Donna, kudos, to you for having courage to bring this story to light, and the many other hats you wear in spite of! Be assured, the talk show on this illness (topic) is a blessing to others. It took me several years but I’ve learned through that life cycle, our Creator has many missions for us. Perhaps, this was your mission, your calling!
Word of caution to the readers: You must take heed and be aware. This journey could one day be yours!