As Nick Vujicic can attest to, a life with no arms and no legs is no problem. If you see Nick around these days, you’re likely to find him skydiving, surfing, or traveling the world. No matter what he’s doing, he’s enjoying the happiness he describes in Life Without Limits.
Nick wasn’t always as happy as he is now. Growing up, he often felt depressed and embarrassed by his “abbreviated body.” He prayed every night that if only God would give him arms and legs, his life would be a breeze. However, as Nick got older, his faith, humor, and ability to take responsibility then act, led him to hope for a fulfilling life. As Nick writes, “hope is where dreams begin…it is the voice of your purpose;” hope is the catalyst that “creates momentum” and “opportunities you never would have anticipated.” As Nick realized that his only limits were those he imposed on himself, he began to recognize his value as a human being.
Armed with this belief in himself, Nick embarked on his journey to inspire others. His hard work and determination led him to become a much sought after public speaker who now spreads his message of hope with audiences around the world. In Life without Limits, Nick shares the story of his growth from an insecure and uncertain boy to a confident man of purpose. Filled with anecdotes and Nick’s trademark humor, it adds laughter and light-heartedness to his tale. In writing this book, Nick aimed to “light the flames of faith and hope inside you so that you too can live a life without limits” and show you that “with a sense of purpose, faith in your future, and determination to never give up, you can overcome any obstacle.”
Book review by Greg McGee, contact him at gmcgee@minutesformemories.org
To learn more about Nick visit NickVujicic.com or check out the below video to see Nick in action.
For people who have suffered from brain injuries, continuing to live a normal life is not easy. Barbara Webster, the author of Lost & Found—A Survivor’s Guide for Reconstructing Life after a Brain Injury, found herself in a frustrating situation where she “couldn’t do anything mentally that she used to do so effortlessly” after a car accident in 1991. The loss of memory and the weak ability to organize are common things to brain injury survivors, says Barbara. However, instead of simply hating herself for her lost abilities, Barbara has overcome the changes and written a detailed guidebook based on her own experience of recovery to help others.
Her book provides a variety of practical strategies to deal with situations in everyday life—from how to make a shopping list to how to read and write better. It is a step-by-step recovery worksheet that all users can apply regardless of the stage in their healing journey. Moreover, Barbara includes her own philosophy of the person and of the world into this book that is insightful and accurate. In order to have a better recovery, Barbara thinks that people should always give themselves positive hints like “I believe in myself” and “I can do it.” By building self-confidence and faith in oneself, the rest of the recovery comes a lot smoother. According to Barbara, the power of the community, including the Brain Injury Association and other support groups, is also very important and influential. This community makes brain injury survivors feel they are not fighting alone in this world and can provide them with more communication and encouragement that their friends and families may not be able to.
Throughout the examples and tips in the book, the bigger message Barbara tries to say is that every human being is unique and has value. Challenges like brain injuries are only part of everyone’s life. They are and can be conquered with strength.
Tuesday, April 4, 1995 is a day that Sheryl Nixon will never forget. At 9:20 PM, she received a phone call that four of her six children had been in a serious car accident while driving home from a church youth group. Two of her sons, 17-year-old Reed and 16-year-old Rob, were sitting in the front of the van and sustained the most severe injuries when it flipped over and the roof caved. In a numb state of shock and disbelief, Sheryl rushed to the hospital to be with her sons. After several hours of waiting, Sheryl and her husband Mark were pulled aside by a doctor who filled them in on the extent of the injuries: Reed and Rob both had collapsed lungs, bruised hearts, broken necks, and suffered spinal cord injuries. It was every parent’s worst nightmare, times two. In the blink of an eye, Reed and Rob became quadriplegic. “Faced with such unbelievable circumstances, feeling overwhelmed and incapable of making rational decisions,” Sheryl and her family began their “uncharted journey.”
One of Sheryl’s recurring themes in the book is how important it was for the Nixon’s to make a conscious decision to reject the “unhappy world of self-pity” and “choose to be happy.” The Nixon’s adopted “maximization” as their family motto. No matter what obstacles Reed and Rob faced, they realized that they “needed to focus on maximizing the positive.” With this mindset, they would keep hope, strive to improve, and make sure to be happy and thankful for whatever progress they made. They knew that if they wallowed in despair, it would consume them and prevent them from recovering to the fullest extent possible. When Reed received his new Tongue Touch Keypad to drive his wheelchair, he chose not to see it as a reflection of his lost independence. Instead, he chose to use it as a way to have fun with those around him; as Reed drove with the keypad hidden in his mouth, he would convince others that he “just thought really hard and his chair moved.”
As Sheryl takes us through the family’s journey, we see how a good sense of humor and faith helped Reed and Rob to maximize their recoveries. When Rob received his first at home nurse, he joked, “Dad, this is a rip! Have you seen the pretty young nurse that Reed got? And I got a grandma for mine!” When an obstacle arose and no joke seemed able to assuage the pain, the Nixon’s found their strength in a trust in God and being thankful for the blessings they could count. Sheryl’s heart broke when she saw Rob struggling for over 45 minutes to put on a sock “without the use of his hands and fingers, and no stomach muscles to help.” Despite the pain, Sheryl kept her faith and believed in Rob’s ability to learn from his struggles. Now, Rob can get fully dressed on his own in less time than it used to take him for that one sock. Sheryl’s trust and positivity allowed Rob achieve maximization and regain independence.
Through In The Blink of an Eye, Sheryl shares the amazing story of her family’s triumph in the face of tragedy. An accomplished lyricist and poet, Sheryl includes songs that she wrote to clue us in on exactly what she was feeling at the time. She provides a completely open, candid, and truly inspirational window into the Nixon family’s experience. Their amazing triumph is summed up best in Sheryl’s own words: “This whole ordeal has been such a growing experience for our family. While our challenges and trials have not been easy, we have become better people as a result of them. We have grown emotionally and spiritually to levels that we never knew were possible. As a result of the accident that was so devastatingly destructive, our whole family is more deeply connected and united, and we have become stronger still.”
Book review by Greg McGee, contact him at gmcgee@minutesformemories.org
Hospitals can be tricky places to navigate, even during the least serious of times. How do you figure it out, then, when a loved one is suffering from a Traumatic Brain Injury? Barbara Irvin had to figure it out all on her own when her husband contracted such a serious brain injury that he had to have half of his skull plate removed. He wasn’t expected to make it, but luckily he did. Barbara took it upon herself to help all of those other loved ones of TBI patients by writing a book. This book, Actions, Balance, and Caring for TBI Patients, is a guide for all parts of the hospitalization and recovery process. Starting in the ER with tips from “find out when the doctors are making their rounds [and] reviewing [your loved one’s] chart,” to “if the person is a male and usually has facial hair, make sure to let the staff know” so they don’t shave him. She goes on to give information about how to navigate the rehabilitation process, about what to do when the person gets home, and about medication. Short and concise, this book offers a helpful list of things to keep track of so that the technical things don’t add to the emotional stress of a loved one suffering from a TBI.
Jean-Dominique Bauby was on top of the world as the editor-in-chief of French magazine Elle when a stroke left him with a cruel condition known as locked-in-syndrome. At only 43 years old, Jean was completely paralyzed, rendered incapable of moving or even speaking. With his mind intact, Jean became “imprisoned inside his own body.” The circumstances of Jean’s injury made communication with the outside world a painstakingly arduous process. However, Jean, driven by pure determination, rose to the challenge and conquered the seemingly impossible task of penning a memoir. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly exemplifies the extraordinary accomplishments humans are capable of when confronted with unimaginable hardship.
In his biography, Jean focuses mainly on life after his injury and he vividly describes the pains and joys of someone living with locked-in syndrome. While painting a picture of his daily struggles, Jean shows us the height of the mountain he had to climb to compose a book of his own words. With his right eyelid sewn shut due to an infection, Jean could only communicate by blinking his left eye. The letters of the alphabet were ordered according to their frequency of use in French and were read to him one by one. Jean would blink his eye when the letter he wanted was reached. Jean’s speech therapist, Sandrine, who he refers to as his “Guardian Angel," would spend hours laboring over their system of communication and, in essence, listening to his story. Before Sandrine’s arrival, as Jean writes, “In my head I churn over every sentence ten times, delete a word, add an adjective, and learn my text by heart, paragraph by paragraph.”
On top of presenting the amazing work of an inspiring man, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly also reminds us all to stop and appreciate the beauty of every day life. In the many letters that Jean received, it was descriptions of the “small slices of life,” the “roses picked at dusk, the laziness of a rainy Sunday, a child crying himself to sleep,” that allowed him to free himself of the oppression and let his mind fly like a butterfly.
In 2007, director Julian Schnabel adapted Bauby’s memoir into the movie Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). While we recommend reading the book itself, this movie certainly provides an impressive and artistic rendition. In a powerful way, it helps us all witness Bauby’s experience first-hand.
Although filmed with French audio, the English subtitles are well done and easy to follow. Rated PG-13 for some adult scenes and content, the movie is geared towards an older crowd (please watch once before showing a younger audience).
Check out the trailer below and read some reviews of the movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Le Scaphandre et le Papillon is available for purchase or rent on iTunes.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at 8:40AM 
By: Nick Vujicic
