BOOK REVIEW

For Love of Life
By Laura Scott Ferris

Reviewed by Dawn Stevens McGuinness

Inspirational is a word we tend to use so much it has lost much of its meaning. This is clear to me now as I try to find a word that adequately describes the book, For Love of Life, and its author, Laura Scott Ferris.

I had the privilege of meeting Laura earlier this year at a CF family teaching day in Albany, New York. She was the keynote speaker. I quickly realized that she has an aura and energy about her that is so warm and uplifting that you want to spend time with her. She is the kind of person you enjoy being around because she makes you feel good about life. You hope that maybe a little of whatever she has will rub off on you.

To be honest, I read Laura’s book after meeting her. It is hard to say how meeting her impacted my interpretation of her book – I wanted to like it because I liked her so much, and her talk was so – dare I say it - inspirational. But I do know that my friend Lisa read For Love of Life before I did, and she kept telling me about this amazing woman, and how her story opened her eyes to what it must feel like to have CF – not just physically, but emotionally, too. This book seemed to really excite Lisa. I was eager to find out why.

Today, there are more books than ever before about life with CF. While that is probably a good thing, it can also be tiresome. Some writers use the opportunity to drone on and on with sentimentality and drama. Frankly, I have no patience for those books. They bore me. For Love of Life is refreshing because it is honest and hopeful, not syrupy and maudlin. In Laura’s book you will find a story of pain, struggle, faith, hope and love.

If you only read one book about life with CF, this should be it.

We learn about Laura’s adoption and the amazing woman who became her mother. Laura grew up feeling special because she knows that her “adoptive” mother selected her specifically, believed in her heart that it was God’s plan for her to be little Laura’s mother. It is not surprising that later in life, her mother is her maid of honor.

What I liked about For Love of Life is that while not preachy or too over-the-top, there is a spirituality and faith that permeates, without being too overbearing. It is also real and familiar: Laura recalls what it was like to be a self-conscious teenager, which is complicated because of CF. She calls puberty an “identity crisis that moved through me like a virus.” She describes her first romantic relationships, how difficult it can be to allow herself to get close to people, and how when she does, it scares some away.

Laura is human and like all of us, pushes the limits: For the first time she is on her own during an internship at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Bethesda, Maryland, during which she promptly gets very sick. Foundation President Robert Dressing summons her to his office and advises her that she is not ready to be on her own and will have to return home unless she can get her act together.

Gradually there is a change in Laura, when her priority becomes healing and all things positive. I was touched by how hard she tries to take part in the trial for DNAse, a drug so many take for granted today. This chapter reminded me not only of how far we have come in terms of treatment and progress, but of the people who have sacrificed and worked so hard to get us to where we are today.

Toward the end of the book Laura’s heart takes center stage: We meet the love of her life, Kent, and how determined he is to become a part of her world. It is not always pretty or romantic, but it is fantastic nonetheless. We also learn about her transplant and the remarkable relationship she has developed not only with her donor’s family, but her donor as well.

And although this is where her book ends, I know it is actually where an even more amazing story of inner strength and courage begins. On the day I met Laura, I sat behind her before she was introduced. I felt envious: What a great life to have published a book and to travel all over promoting it, meeting new people. Startled from my little green reverie, as Laura was being introduced, I saw her mother stand up and lead her by the elbow to the staging area. Then I watched as Laura ran her hands over the podium to find the microphone. I had been so self-absorbed up until then I hadn’t even noticed she was wearing sunglasses. My husband whispered, “Someone told me she is blind. She has diabetes and lost her sight.” I had no idea! It happened after she published her book. I felt ashamed for feeling jealous of her.

And yet, in spite of her blindness, in spite of her struggles, I will always envy Laura. She exudes an inner joy, a peacefulness that is hard to explain. I do not doubt that, even now, she sees more clearly and appreciates beauty more deeply than most. I sincerely hope that Laura will share more of her insight and story in the future. There is much more to be learned from such a bright shining star.

Editor’s Note: Since last April, Laura’s kidneys have failed due to Juvenile Diabetes and anti-rejection drugs she has taken for nine years. She will pursue a kidney/pancreas transplant and hopes to be listed in Chicago soon.

To obtain a copy of her book, please visit www.Forloveoflife.org or write to the author: Laura J. Scott Ferris, 541 S. Simms St., Lakewood, CO. 80228 A percentage of proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to non-profit organizations helping organ donor recipients and educating the public about organ donation." (US$ 10 plus shipping/ US$ 3.80 for priority or US$ 2 for regular mail)

ISBN 0-9709325-0-2