Praying for Emily
The Faith, Science, and Miracles that Saved Our Daughter
by Tom Whitehead; Kari Whitehead; Emily Whitehead
FaithWords
Worthy Books
Christian
Pub Date 06 Oct 2020




I am reviewing a copy of Praying For Emily through FaithWorks/Worthy Books and Netgalley:




Tom and Karl Whitehead’s works was shattered when their five year old daughter Emily was diagnosed with Leukemia. They were going to do whatever it took to help their daughter, and as they made decisions about how to best treat her.




Tom found that his faith came to him in whispers, guiding his decisions and keeping his hope alive, while Kari placed great faith in science and the doctors surrounding her little girl. But as Emily's condition continued to worsen, they both prayed for a miracle.




Their miracle arrived in the form of an experimental treatment called CAR-T cell therapy that, against all odds, saved Emily's life. Due to Emily’s remarkable and miraculous recovery this treatment is now used widely to treat cancer and has gone on to save hundreds of lives and promises to help thousands more. For all the acclaim and attention this important new approach to treating cancer has received, few know the full story of all it took to make this miracle happen.




Praying for Emily is a story of belief, resilience, and support that got them through the most difficult time of their lives.




I give Praying for Emily five out of five stars!




Happy Reading!

This is a good book, sometimes sad. About one family, The Whitehead's, struggle with cancer. Five year old Emily has cancer. This book shows what its like for a family, the diagnosis, the treatments, etc.

This is a very touching story. I am impressed with the honesty of Emily's parents as they share their journey. We readers follow along as they see the bruises then receive the diagnosis. We share in their momentary celebrations and grieve with them on the setbacks. Then there is a relapse, indicating the cancer had become resistant to the standard therapies. There is the suggestion to arrange hospice. Then there is the hope of a new type of treatment.

In addition to being a very well written memoir, this book is very informative. I found out how a bone marrow transplant works, including the high dose of chemo and full body radiation wiping out the bone marrow, making room for the healthy cells to grow.

I learned about T cell therapy, how the cells are harvested from the patient's blood by separating them in a specially designed centrifuge, growing them, attaching a synthetic molecule giving them the ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells, then reinfusion, increasing their presence in the blood stream. The engineered T cells continue to kill cancer cells until they are gone. While the therapy had been tried on a few adults, Emily was the first child to experience it. And it did not go well. Soon it looked like Emily would die.

There is a very positive aspect of this memoir, revealing the faith and dogged determination of Emily's parents. Emily is a trooper through so much of the treatments. And there are special people who come alongside like Nurse Karli and her well planned illustrated treatment explanations for Emily. There were university students like Becky and Ariana and dedicated family members.

There is an agonizingly realistic side to the memoir too. Emily's parents were desperate at times, moving Emily from one hospital to another and then back, unsure of where the best treatment for Emily was to be found. They second guessed their choices. They alienated one doctor with their decision and subsequent reversal. Such raw honesty will certainly encourage other parents in a similar situation.

I highly recommend this captivating memoir, well written and informative. It will inspire your.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.