Description
A courageous young woman beats the odds to regain her life after a traumatic brain injury.
In 1992, as Jennifer Field lay in a coma after a near-fatal car accident, one doctor after another said she would never walk, or talk, or be able to take care of herself again. But Jennifer and her mother, believed something different. They never gave up hope that Jennifer would regain a normal life. And she did. This memoir, told in interweaving stories by Jennifer and her mother, Joanne Field, follows Jennifer’s journey from world-class equestrian to trauma patient to world-class survivor.
“My opinion is that you can never think your injury and disease has won,” writes Jennifer, who was a high school student and Olympic hopeful before the car crash that nearly took her life. Her training in the riding ring, her discipline, and her competitive spirit kept her focused on her recovery. As did her mother, who was steadfast in seeking out the treatments and therapies that would help Jennifer regain her life. “Maybe I was living in false hope,” Joanne writes, “but it paid off.”
From Blue Ribbon to Code Blue is the story of a mother who refused to give up and a daughter who defied the odds through guts and determination. This is a compelling narrative threaded with memories from people who helped along the way—medical professionals, friends, and family. It’s a great tribute to the human spirit and the power of love.
Jennifer Field, a magna cum laude graduate of Wheaton College, is a sought-after motivational speaker for corporate, nonprofit, medical, and academic audiences across the country. She is the president of of the J. Field Foundation, which focuses on providing aid, hope, and inspiration to families of brain injury victims, and writes a monthly inspirational newsletter. Jennifer divides her time between New Hampshire and Santa Monica, California where she continues to work on different therapies, exercise, and eating healthy, organic meals that she enjoys cooking with her partner, Bruce.
Joanne Field spent a large part of her life in the retail business in Peterborough, New Hampshire. When her daughter, Jennifer, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a terrible car accident, Joanne gave her life over to finding the therapies that would help Jennifer get better. They traveled the world together, never giving up hope. Joanne was determined that her daughter would recover. Joanne now lives in Sharon, New Hampshire, and Hobe Sound, Florida.
