Bobby Petrocelli's story is one of personal triumph and hope following a devastating tragedy in his life. One night he went to bed in his suburban America (League City, Texas) home a happy man with a loving wife, but when he woke up dazed in his kitchen, his wife was dead and his life changed forever. A pickup had crashed into the wall of his bedroom driven by a man more than twice legally drunk. Now he tells his story nationwide to high school students, speaking of the consequences of drinking and driving.
The author presents a contemporary model and system of recovery that recognizes the inherent human capacity to move forward, not in spite of crisis, but as a direct result.
Tragedy to Triumph-The Story of Tom's Heart provides an up-close and personal look at the journeys of two individuals facing death as they present their individual perspectives as the donor family and the recipient. There are very few stories in life that grip you like the loss of a child. When that story hits home, it can feel like your very heart is being ripped out. This story is about life and death. When a family member or friend suffers end-stage organ failure, the pain is different but very real. Loved ones watch as you wither away before their eyes dying, waiting, and hoping for the ultimate gift, the gift of life, so they can go on living. Tragedy to Triumph-The Story of Tom's Heart is the harrowing and heart-wrenching tragedy that struck him and his family. At the worst moment any family should ever have to deal with, the parents said 'yes' to organ, eye, and tissue donation so the lives of others could be saved and enhanced. For Tom's mother, it offered hope in the midst of despair, a purpose in the midst of tragedy, and light in the midst of the darkest night of her life. By saying yes to donation, another mother and family did not have to wonder, wait, or face the death of their son, brother, or friend. Pete Radigan, who was in end-stage heart failure at Columbia Hospital, unsure if he would live or die, received Tom's heart-the gift of life. This is their story...
Astonishingly thorough pictorial record of her brief existence. Beginning with her conception, more than a thousand photographs and artists' impressions cover her construction and launching, her fitting-out and trials, preparations for her maiden passenger-carrying voyage, her departure from Southampton and arrival at Cherbourg, her voyage to Queenstown, and the drama of her final disaster after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic, and the aftermath through to the.
Thousands have already been encouraged by this man's inspiring story. It was the worst imaginable nightmare. In the midst of total darkness, I was searching for those most precious to me. . . . I struggled to maintain my footing on icy pavement. I was enveloped in darkness and the only sound was the wind, howling as if someone had turned on the sound track to a horror movie. AndrŽ Thornton's nightmare turned out to be reality. On an icy turnpike, his van lay overturned with his wife and two children trapped inside. An hour later, he learned the awful news. It was as if a limb had been cruelly amputated from my body. Where does a man go when those, whom he loves the dearest, are suddenly, without warning, wrenched from his life? For Andre Thornton, there was only one place to go. Years spent nurturing and developing a relationship with God were his sole of strength. Could God heal such agonizing pain? Could He put the pieces of Andre's life back together? Could any good come from such a devastating loss? In the following weeks and months, AndrŽ Thornton found answers to those questions and discovered God's incredible power to heal even the most agonizing hurt. He learned that he could, indeed, experience Triumph Born of Tragedy.
From Tragedy to Triumph describes a man's struggle with the untimely deaths of three of his four children, all due to unusual circumstances. This is the story of a man learning how to deal with such a tragedy. You will follow Alex and see what happens when he lays down the grief and runs to God. The heartfelt pain was so intense that the man walked away from his business and settled in for a long season of prayer, going to God for the answers, any answers. It was during this time that God began the show Alex a better understanding of how life and death and God and His kingdom work. Fortunately for us, Alex was permitted to take notes and write down what he heard and saw. Though written in simple, down-to-earth English, you will find many profound truths direct from the throne of God.
Journey with me through the odyssey of my dark night of devastation following the demise of Daisy, my wife and teammate of almost fifty-four years. Arrive with me at the dawn of a new day. Survey with me a new vista of life that is worth living - even amidst a changed landscape. Discover with me a serene and biblical secret for triumphing over tragedy and trauma. Stand with me victorious on the summit of a new beginning - blurred but not blinded, dismayed but not dissuaded, wounded but not wasted, bruised but not broken. Tragedy is universal and strikes in many forms - flood, fire, storm, bankruptcy, divorce, disease, death, etc. May these pages inspire strength in tough times, ease pain in the face of loss, seed courage to not quit on life, and stimulate the healing power of treasured memories and of God's Love that enables one to transcend trauma and to triumph in life.
Barry Makarewicz is a twenty year veteran of Salt Lake City Fire Department, sixteen of those years as a paramedic. Triumph, Tragedy and Tedium chapters are honest, compassionate and sensitive with compelling detail and special insight as Barry lives in the district he serves. Medical or fire calls can be for neighbors, friends or family. If you want to know what it is like to be a paramedic/firefighter, or if you want to know what happens when the emergency response system is activated, this book of true stories is a must read. Triumph, Tragedy and Tedium explores a variety of emergency calls from dramatic major medical traumas to the mundane minor assistance needed for the frail and infirm; from humor to despair and everything in between. Barry's stories are captured in teamwork with his personal journalist and wife, Laura Howat. "Makarewicz & Howat masterfully recount the stories of a paramedic/firefighter in Triumph, Tragedy and Tedium. The book is a wonderful journey through the highs and lows of a paramedic/firefighter's life and I recommend it to anyone with a curiosity about emergency services." Eric R Swanson, MD, FACEP; Associate Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, The University of Utah; Medical Director, University of Utah AirMed; Editor, Air Medical Journal "Makarewicz and Howat have written a remarkable book. It captures the full range of emotions and experiences of a modern urban paramedic; the humor, the satisfaction, the tragedy, the frustration and even the anger at times. . . .In these stories, readers will find themselves drawn into the lives of the paramedic/firefighters and the people they meet and they can come away with a deep appreciation for these people and for the life saving and life giving work that they do." Dan Andrus, Deputy Chief, Salt Lake City Fire Department (Retired) "Triumph, Tragedy and Tedium provides vivid insight into the challenges that paramedic/firefighters face when life saving seconds are ticking away. . . I recommend this book to anyone that takes emergency medical services for granted." Randy Anderson, Interagency Hotshot Crew Superintendent; BLM
