Go Back and Be Happy: Reclaiming Life After a Devastating Loss

This book is the inspiring true story of Julie Papievis. Julie was a successful businesswoman and athlete whose life changed when her car was hit by a teenage running a red light. Julie sustained brain stem injuries that left her with something like a 3% chance to survive, let alone recover to any degree. When Julie woke up from a coma three weeks after her accident, she wasn't given great odds for much of a recovery. With strength and determination and a lot of faith, Julie has recovered and was able to run a 5k race and then goes on to run a triathlon. Today she is an advocate for others with brain stem injuries, and spends time speaking to groups about her journey and her overwhelming faith. This book outlines her journey. It is inspiring and motivating and had me in tears many times while reading it. For anyone who has struggled with illness, or watched someone they loved struggle with illness, this book would be so great to read. The book fills you with such hope that you can get through another day, that we all have a purpose for our life. Julie Papievis is nothing short of a miracle. People are not supposed to recover from what she has recovered so fully from. Experience some of the miracle yourself by reading her story. I can guarantee that you won't forget her, and you won't regret the time you spend with her story. [...]

Good, solid book, about a good solid person and her struggles to overcome the results of a life threatening car accident. I think she had a 3% chance of survival, and much less than that to become a walking, talking, upbeat person. Her sole ambition is to help others who have been injured, plus convey her experience and knowlege with lessons of prevention. The book has all the ingredients of a fall to some of the deepest depths of what life can provide back to a much higher point (in many ways) than before the accident. Good family, good doctors, solid religion, near death experience, coupled with struggles to return to basic human functionality (needs) and eventually the 'wants' that most of us take for granted.

GO BACK AND BE HAPPY: JULIE PAPIEVIS GO BACK AND BE HAPPY tells the true story JULIE PAPIEVIS overcoming a car crash - brain stem injury - protracted coma and consequent disabilities to emerge, years later, as a crusader helping others with brain injuries. While many people suffer traumatic brain-stem injury, very few recover to fully competent adult life. Most never recover physically. But among for who do, there are still mental and spiritual hurdles to deal with, and that is what this book is all about. I came to this book thinking that I already knew what she had to say - since I had read a news report of her story in a newspaper and I had heard her tell her story at a local public meeting. But the book was full of surprises. All that I had known was the medical details. Indeed, this book is more about her internal life, and I found my eyes tearing several times. I recommend this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is well written, easy to follow, and makes a powerful point. As one who is handicapped myself, I found Julie's account of her experiences to be painfully honest and easy to relate to. Anyone who wants to understand the physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational challenges of being handicapped would benefit from reading her story.