Notes Left Behind (Hardcover)
by Brooke Desserich and Keith Desserich
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Overview
Elena Desserich dreamed of becoming a teacher. Although her time on this earth was far too short to fulfill her dream, she left behind an enlightening lesson plan on life. Wise beyond her years, Elena never stopped teaching those around her to appreciate the miracle of everyday living even as the innocent six-year-old battled a rare form of brain cancer.
Through personal and candid journal entries written as a remembrance for Elena's younger sister, Brooke and Keith Desserich share their emotional journey as they negotiated their contradictory impulses to fight Elena's cancer at all costs and realized the inevitable outcome. Page by page, this journal is a reminder to parents everywhere to appreciate and savor every precious moment they have with their own children.
"Notes Left Behind" tells a story of humility and inspiration. From the time of her diagnosis, Elena accomplished a truly spectacular series of wishes, big and small, that she alone created, from riding in a horse-drawn carriage to painting a masterpiece that would hang in an art museum. Her life motivated the creation of the foundation, The Cure Starts Now, which today helps children everywhere in their fight against cancer. The authors' proceeds from the sale of this book benefits this foundation.
Included in the pages of this book are Elena's private messages that she secretly hid around her home, knowing her family would find them when she was gone. These notes show us how even during the darker moments of life, it is possible to find hope and encouragement through selfless love.
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Related Categories:
Books > Family & Relationships > Parenting - General
Books > Self-Help > Motivational & Inspirational
- ISBN-13: 9780061886393
- ISBN-10: 0061886394
- Publisher: William Morrow & Company
- Date: October 2009
- Page Count: 250
Customer Reviews
Publishers Weekly® Reviews
- Reviewed in: Publishers Weekly, page 48.
- Review Date: 2009-09-21
- Reviewer: Staff
A Cincinnati couple bravely and lovingly recorded the last months of their six-year-old daughter's life after she was handed the devastating prognosis of terminal brain cancer. A trip to the doctor's office to treat Elena's strep throat resulted in an MRI that revealed a large tumor lodged within the walls of Elena's brain stem—“in the worst place with one of the worst tumors out there.” The kindergartener, who also had a younger sister, Grace, was given three to six months to live. A miracle was what the family hoped for, traveling to Memphis for six weeks of an experimental treatment involving intensive radiation, chemotherapy and tests; already Elena's speech, mobility and ability to eat had been affected, symptoms of the tumor's progression that would recede and recur over the next several months. The parents kept this diary from November 29, the beginning of their daughter's treatment, until her death August 11, “Day 256,” written in alternating POVs (mostly Keith's; Brooke's is rendered in italics), even recording some of Elena's own musings, such as that all she wanted was to be “normal.” The parents remained resolute in her treatment, even upbeat despite the anger Keith felt at the “unfairness” of this disease. Instead of planning their daughter's future, the Desseriches sadly found themselves “counting [her] days.” This heartbreakingly forthright journal helped the authors push back that “second-worst day”—when the memory of their daughter would be forgotten. (Nov.)
- ISBN-13: 9780061886393
- ISBN-10: 0061886394
- Publisher: William Morrow & Company
- Date: October 2009
- Page Count: 250