It is the phone call every person lives in fear of receiving. There has been an accident and your loved one is paralyzed. A spinal cord injury is the single most devastating and life altering event. Based on a true story, Michael and Donna were young, successful, in love and planning their life together. That life was radically changed by a tragic car accident. Now a wheelchair user as a quadriplegic, with limited movement, constant infections and multiple surgeries, doctors projected Michael’s best case life expectancy to be five years. See how this young couple battles through his injury and spends his five years making a lasting impact on hundreds of people. It will make you realize what can be accomplished when a person does not let circumstances dictate their life.

Five Years to Live by Frank Zaccari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have to say that the positive tone and willingness of Michael to live in spite of everything was truly inspiring.  I greatly appreciated his willingness to try everything possible to extend his life and improve his health.  We could probably all take a lesson.  Sometimes we don’t want to change our lifestyle to affect our health positively.  It’s easier to take a pill.

I think this book is a good reminder that our lives can change in a split second when we least expect it.  Michael had his life planned out, and then an amazing tragedy struck.  But he did beat the odds, but I won’t tell you any more for fear of spoilers.

Sometimes I found the writing a little dry, but that is just my opinion.  I certainly could have done without the profanity.  I didn’t mind the minor sex discussion.  I did enjoy the spiritual references, but they truly seemed non sequitur with the profanity, but that was just my opinion.

I can happily say this is an upbeat book to read in the new year, and I can certainly recommend it.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

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Author Bio:
Frank Zaccari is a native of western New York. He received his bachelor’s in finance from California State University at Sacramento after serving as a military medic in the United States Air Force. He spent more than two decades in the technology industry, holding various positions from account representative to CEO. He also spent time specializing in turn-around management of companies under $100 million. Zaccari left the industry to provide primary care of his children, purchasing a small business that was more accommodating to his family. He presently owns an insurance agency in Sacramento, where he currently resides. “Five Years to Live” is not his only book for sale. He has also written, “When the Wife Cheats,” “From the Ashes: The Rise of the University of Washington Volleyball Program,” and “Inside the Spaghetti Bowl.”

Websites & Links:
http://www.frankzaccari.com/

EXCERPT:

With terror in his voice, he said, “I’m not going to walk again, am I?”

“We don’t really know yet, like I said…”

Michael angrily cut her off “Answer the god-damn question. I’m not going to walk again am I?

“I don’t know Michael.” Tears began to will up in his eyes, and he looked at her, begging for an answer.

After she wiped the tear from her eyes she said “The odds are not in your favor.”

Guest post by the author

Inspiration for Five Years to Live

 

This book is very personal to me and my family. My youngest brother Steve was paralyzed in car accident when he was 24 years old. This is an experience I hope and pray no other family endures. Shortly after the accident, my mother gave Steve a cassette recorder and told him to record his thoughts and emotions. Steve’s goal was to write a book from the patient’s perspective. He did record several hours of thoughts, but could never bring himself to write the book. He said reliving those terrible days would be too painful.

 

After I wrote my third book, Inside the Spaghetti Bowl, Steve said “Let’s give this a try. If it can help one person deal with this tragedy it will be worthwhile.” My parents, brothers and sisters all had our memories and experiences to draw upon, but to make this book as realistic as possible, Steve would have to revisit some very dark times.  He listened to his tapes and the horror he thought he had left behind engulfed him. He went back to the moment his car flipped on the New Jersey turnpike. His emotions poured out as he recalled those critical moments where he teetered on the breaking point.  Very few people have the courage to live through this experience and then go back and relive it in order to help others.

 

Steve said had it not been for the love and support of his family, he would not have survived. As difficult as it is for the injured person, the family is also changed forever. A mother whose son suffered a serious spinal cord injury told me: “This story needs to be told. This tragedy can happen to everyone without warning. It needs to expresses what a spinal cord injury does to the life of not only the person involved, but to their entire family as well. For those strong enough to face this overwhelming obstacle, it is a journey of love, endurance, and absolute triumph of the spirit. It will bring so much hope to so many people that find themselves in a nightmare from which they cannot awake. You will speak for all of us.”

 

After my going through this ordeal with my brother and my family and hearing the heart-wrenching story from this mother, I had to write Five Years to Live.

 

The top 10 things you want to do before you die

 

1.      To see my daughters live long, healthy, happy and prosperous lives.

 

2.      To see my brother Steve step out of his wheelchair and walk.

 

3.      To see my future grandchildren and be a positive influence in their lives.

 

4.      To live my life with integrity which is the greatest honor I can give my parents.

 

5.      To earn the love of and share the rest of my life with a good woman.

 

6.      To have one of my books become a best seller so I can buy a villa at the Amalfi Coast.

 

7.      To see the University of Washington volleyball program win another national title.

 

8.      To see the 4^th of July fireworks at Lake Tahoe from an airplane.

 

9.      To spend one year visiting Italy and Sicily with my family.

 

10.    To see the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl.

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