Stephanie Nielson's "Heaven Is Here"

This summer, Kathy from my rehab class was in the audience during an event sponsored by Glenn Beck in Salt Lake City. She and her husband paid extra to attend a smaller reception where they met Elizabeth Smart and Stephanie Nielson of the NieNie Dialogues. She is the writer of a blog I read everyday. They bought her book, which Stephanie and her husband Christian autographed. At the rehab class on Thursday, Kathy loaned the book to me, "Heaven Is Here."

If you are struggling with a bad diagnosis, buy it. Get it from the library. Buy it online. Whatever it takes, get it, read it. There is so much there. The good and the bad. It is beautifully written filled with the emotions of dying and choosing to return to a horribly scared body and a life filled with pain. The worst of all pain, burns. 

If you don't know the story, the Nielsons married young, had four children by the time they were 25-years old and were carving out a life filled with family and supported by their faith. They were together when a small plane crashed, killing the pilot, breaking Christian's back and he suffered burns, but it was Stephanie who suffered the worst burns as she was stuck in the back seat and unable to get the seat belt off. She had severe burns over 80% of her body, including her face and really should not have survived. This is their story of recovery. Together. It has been five years last week since the accident, she gave birth to another baby last year and they are living well. 

The waves of so many emotions we have all experienced as we are following the path of living with a bad diagnosis are written so eloquently and it is not all sunshine and hope. There are very dark times. She really didn't want to see her children or any photos of her former self or life. It was all just too difficult to deal with. In fact, it took her months to even be able to see herself in a mirror. When she finally saw her face, she could not imagine being out in the world ever again. A monster. How could her children love her? In fact, after a glimpse, one child could not look at her. Imagine the pain. 

I couldn't stop reading it. It carries many messages and, in the end, hope. Please, please read it.