“Your son is in heart failure.” As I read those words in the early pages of Bill Coon’s book, Swim: A Memoir of Survival, I knew I would have to read the rest of this story even if it took me on an uncomfortable journey. I’m the mother of a child with a congenital heart defect, so hearing that statement from a doctor would be a nightmare come true. I believe I have a good understanding of the emotions Bill’s parents were experiencing, but I have not walked in the shoes of a heart patient. Swim presented an opportunity to feel and see the physical and emotional struggle to survive.
Bill was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in 1989. In those days, HLHS was practically a death sentence. The best chance for survival involved securing a heart transplant within the first few weeks of life. With only hours left to live, a donor heart came available, and Bill went on to live a childhood that was “colorful, carefree, and filled with innocent bliss.” But at age 20, his transplanted heart along with his kidneys began to fail. If he wanted to live, he would have to fight with every ounce of his being.
Bill does not sugarcoat the experience. Be prepared– the battle to stay alive when your body is failing can unleash anger and behavior that is explosive, rebellious, and desperate. Swim is an uncensored, intimate account marked by psychological highs and lows.
As his condition deteriorated and his need for transplant became urgent, Bill wrote, “…I do believe that everything happens for a reason, but whenever I get down I start to wonder why I was born with a defective heart as an infant. What made God choose me?” As I read that passage, I could not help but feel that God knew Bill would write about his experiences. When you close this book, you will appreciate life and understand profoundly the importance of organ donation.
Swim: A Memoir of Survival is available as a quality paperback on Amazon or it may be purchased electronically for Kindle. Signed copies can be purchased on the author’s website, www.BillCoonBooks.com.
Are you ready to SWIM?
Tags: Bill Coon, congenital heart defect, heart, heart surgery, heart transplant, HLHS, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, organ donation, Swim: A Memoir of Survival
