At first I was put off by the unsympathetic treatment of this 12 yr old boy who stole a wallet out of desperation to help his Mom and his critically ill baby brother, Levi. (shades of Les Miserable) But Timothy’s assigned journal entries won me over and I was breathless with fear for him as he reveals their overwhelming medical situation. Levi was born with ……stenosis and needs a trach to breath. The plight of his family was heart breaking. Eventually they do receive help, but Timothy’s account of their lives in the every day desperate moments is outstanding. There are so many lonely and terrifying nights to this illness. Timothy describes knowing how to manage the suction machines and oxygen levels, knowing what to do when the baby turn blue, being awake and afraid all night, trying to stay awake during the day, helplessly watching a demeaning care giver, and finally the moment when one year old Levi learns to plug the trach hole with his dirty little finger and says “MaMa” for the first time. Because of my own experience with my husband, the details of life with a compromised airway, a temporary trach, and the constant worry really hit home. At the end, I was especially moved to learn that the author is the mother of a child who, like the fictional baby brother, was born with a complex airway and survived after many surgeries.
Reviewed by Susan Plimpton