Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

www.biblegateway.com


Thursday, April 2, 2015

Halo Found Hope Book Review

A Memoir
A portion of author proceeds will go to the
National Brain Tumor Society.


SUMMARY:  Machines beeping, the blur of medical staff running, a crash cart whizzing into an ICU room, was there any hope?
     A young woman lay, packed in ice, as doctors attempted to somehow stop the swelling in her brain that threatened to take her life . . . and her family waited.
     Six days turned into eight weeks.  She awoke to discover that she was not the same.  She saw two of everything, couldn't feel half of her face, couldn't hear from one ear, and could not speak.  She couldn't even tell anyone that she felt hopeless . . . or could she?
     Halo Found Hope is the story of a beautiful, busy wife, and mother of three whose life changes instantly with the diagnosis of a rare brain tumor.  An exceptional ENT, a brilliant neurosurgeon and a dedicated medical team tackle the tumor, setting off a series of unbelievable miracles.
     Helo's story is not one of survival, or of salvaging a life through a broken body.  It is not about endurance through pain, but victory because of it.  While the family heard her silence, God heard her prayer.  Helo's story is simply this:  Wherever you are and whatever you are going through, God is right there.  He doesn't need to be recognized by you, to be there for you.  He can replace fear with courage and discouragement with determination, if you let Him.  Helo did, and that is how she found hope.

REVIEW:  Helo (pronounced Halo) tells of her journey of being diagnosed with a rare brain tumor and how it has changed her life.  It not only impacted her life physically but also spiritually and has helped her see everyone around her in a different light.  She writes about how even though on the outside she looks fine, the tumor and its removal has affected her physical stamina, thinking abilities and some physical abilities.  She takes advantage of any and every situation to help others and spread the Good News of Jesus. 
     The story starts out in the typical fashion with her life before the diagnosis and some information on her family history.  After telling the details of surgery and the touch-and-go events afterwards, the information jumps around going back and forth between current events, rehabilitation and stories about people she has helped.  While the back and forth took some getting used to, it helped me see how life has changed for Helo.  Things that used to be important are not so much anymore.  Her focus now is on telling others how Jesus has been there for her and helping her fellow man, even if it is just a kind word or paying for a birthday cake, just because.
     Helo's story is inspirational.  This is one book everyone needs to read and to be motivated to do more with what God has given us.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and Dog Ear Publishing for review without compensation.

Helo Matzelle is a happily married and devoted mother of three children.  She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Washington in 1986.  She is a dedicated advocate of the National Brain Tumor Society.  Helo remains passionate about inspiring others to seek the One in whom true hope is always found.  Helo and her family live in Redmond, Washington.

National Brain Tumor Society is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the brain tumor community in the United States.  They are fiercely committed to finding better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for people living with a brain tumor today and those who will be diagnosed tomorrow. To learn more visit www.braintumor.org. 

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