John was always healthy. Then at age twenty-six a rare autoimmune disease struck out of nowhere.
Idiopathic,
doctors said of the phenomenon that tried to take his life violently several times and to destroy his spirit more quietly over the next several years. Since John Got Sick: A Quest for Survival and Faith is the story of a young man’s heroic battle to survive both the initial onslaught and the ongoing assault of a traumatic autoimmune disease and its ensuing consequences (including dialysis, disability, transplant, depression, opioid dependence, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Simultaneously, it is the story of a mother’s love and strength against daunting odds, including donating a kidney. Traumatic illness often ends in a relatively quick death or a sudden miraculous recovery. John’s was neither. His is a story, with parts written in his words, of courage, endurance, and patience, along with a stubborn refusal to quit. While his mother sought God and prayer, John’s will to live was based in something else–perhaps even more intrinsic. For anyone who has suffered a serious illness, whether personally or with a child; anyone facing the challenges of autoimmune disease; and any medical professionals who have worked to help them, this book provides insight from the patient’s perspective. Patient advocates, clergy, and community members may benefit from vicariously experiencing the multifaceted challenges–mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and financial–shown here. And likely any mother, or parent, will identify, feel the heartache, and wonder, Why not me?
Allison Greene writes a beautiful, honest, and heartfelt book about her son’s illness, treatment, and recovery. Their special relationship shines through with the addition of John’s words. Patients, family members, health care providers, and spiritual supporters are guaranteed to experience a range of powerful emotions as they read this book. Having cared for hundreds of patients with vasculitis, I particularly admired and appreciated the support John’s family and friends provided while he was at Duke.
–Nancy Bates Allen, MD, Duke University Medical Center
Allison Greene’s career in patient advocacy very possibly kept her son John alive. In this turbulent story of a son’s fight for survival and his mother’s fierce battle alongside him, the reader will be transported into a world of unrelenting medical crises, and its emotional aftermath. This is an important book.
–Deb Richardson-Moore, author of Death of a Jester
These pages sing a beautiful duet of a family gaining strength and healing amidst seemingly incurable disease and hopelessness. It is an unflinching story of healing and redemption. A reminder that love conquers all.
–Scott Walker, Director of The Institute of Life Purpose, Mercer University Allison Greene has worked in health care for more than twenty-five years and is the author of two previous books: Your Aging Parents and Divorce: A Spiritual Journey. A graduate of Furman University (BA), Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MA), and the University of South Carolina (MA), she lives in Greenville, South Carolina. John Greene, also of Greenville, is a graduate of the University of South Carolina (BS) and has worked in manufacturing and real estate. He loves all sports and his dog, Pippen.