Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregivers Tale
About this ebook
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.
About the author
Donna has published with Scholastic, was a winner in the 2013 Legacies Writing Contest, and was recognized by the National Education Association for "Teacher's Pets," her review column for children's books. Donna is published in two anthologies on brain injury, "The Resilient Soul" and "Surviving Brain Injury: Stories of Strength and Inspiration," and with her writing group in two volumes, "Montclair Write Group Sampler 2014 and 2016." She is a frequent contributor to online/print journals and magazines (TBI Hope Magazine, Lash and Associates Publishing Blog, and Disabled Magazine). She also hosts a radio show on the Brain Injury Network. The wife, mother, granny, teacher, playwright, actor, director, picture-book reviewer, photographer, and writer states that her greatest accomplishment is being caregiver to her husband, David. Donna and David currently live in the desert. Learn more about Donna at her blogs: Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury and Donna O'Donnell Figurski's Blog or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
