Driven by Mike Cafferty, J.D.

Brief Summary: When he is only 18 Mike is paralyzed in a car accident and sustains a spinal cord injury(SCI). This is his story of overcoming medical complications to go on to college, law school, marriage and fatherhood. He details so many issues well known to those of us who live with SCI including unreliable caregivers, challenges with dating and sexuality, and adjusting to a new normal. I live with SCI myself and love reading books written by others with SCI.

Highlights: I loved hearing about his time in college and law school and how he navigated dating and sexuality. I loved that he did not shy away from the intimate details of bowel and bladder care and sexuality. I really appreciated that he included mental health and adjustment issues. Overall, I found him easy to relate to; especially his Catholic upbringing. I was very saddened to learn that he passed away to cancer earlier this year.

Explanation of Rating: 4/5; this was an easy and engaging read that will help anyone better understand what it’s like to live with SCI.

Favorite Quotes: And you know damned well your mouth and tongue ain’t paralyzed.

Thank you to Net Galley and Wayzgoose Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Mike Cafferty was a guy who got himself into a car accident as a teenager and sadly ended up a quadriplegic. I say 'sadly', but I got the impression that Mike was a really outgoing guy who made the absolute most of a bad situation - I think there's a lot we could learn from his outlook on life. This is a very powerful read, made even more so when you learn that Mike sadly passed away after writing this book. I certainly feel inspired by reading his story and hope that others can experience the same.

Very powerful book to read. Hard going especially as it’s a true story. It’s very raw and uses every emotion you have. It was well written. Interesting to read.

It is with a heavy heart that I write this review as I have just learned of the recent death of Michael Cafferty.

On Sept 29, 1988, 18 yr old Mike Cafferty was out with his buddies, cruising the streets of Chicago's south side. In an instant his life changed forever. He woke up in a hospital, a quadriplegic for life.
This is the story of that devastating night and the courageous days and years that follow. It shows the unbelievably numerous challenges those with severe disabilities face and his story inspires anyone to conquer obstacles of their own. A true inspiration!
Mike attended Junior College then the University of Illinois. He later graduated from DePaul University College of Law. He devoted his entire career to helping others as an attorney at the Cook County Public Guardians Office. He was married for 10 years with two young children.
Sadly he was recently diagnosed with Stage IV colon and liver cancer.

I highly recommend reading Mike Cafferty's story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wayzgoose Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This is an amazing testament to the power of endurance after a tragedy. The author's life changed in an instant the evening he became a quadriplegic. He could no longer swim competitively or partake in other activities that he enjoyed. The author wrote a raw memoir on how hard it was to overcome this tragedy in his life and become an attorney. Unfortunately, I read that the author passed away due to cancer after writing this book.

This was a good little book. I drew some inspiration from this gentleman's optimism. Unfortunately, I sensed that it ended rather abruptly, so I Googled him to see if there was further information about him. Sadly, I found that he had passed from his cancer. That's sad. I wish his family my very best.