"This Broken Vessel"

“Can you please buy me this book on Kindle?” I called through the house to my daughter. Books ambush me in the unlikeliest places. This one found me as I read a Christmas newsletter from my husband’s New Zealand cousin. It begged to join our household that very day… and thanks to my ever helpful daughter, it did!

Bethany Wilson's honesty gripped me right from the very start. In the Preface to her autobiography, she states: “Even as I pen these words, I feel a tinge of unworthiness. What business is it of mine to write a memoir at only twenty-seven?” Her Dedication page brought tears to my typically dry eyes.

In a nutshell, Bethany skilfully tells of her journey through life with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare, degenerative, genetic disease. Friedreich’s Ataxia has been an extremely difficult companion of Bethany’s since her early childhood days. It attacks the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and the cerebellum section of the brain, causing poor balance and mobility, which can lead to wheelchair dependence. Associated heart problems shorten sufferers’ average life expectancy.

Surprisingly, I did not find this to be a depressing read. Bethany adeptly interlaces humour and wit throughout this account of the daily challenges she faces, living with Friedreich’s Ataxia. We follow her struggles and growth in all areas of her life: physical, emotional; personal and spiritual. Since growing up on a verdant dairy farm in New Zealand, she has spread her wings and travelled far.

I'm not prone to outward displays of emotion. However, I frequently found myself moved to tears or even laughing aloud, disturbing the peace of my slumbering household.

This was a quick read of merely a few hundred pages. You may suspect I’m unduly biased in my review, having strong family connections with the author. Plus, my nursing background meant I was interested in the condition dealt with. However, I’m certain anyone with an inquisitive mind and even half a heart, will be as enthralled as I was, whilst reading “This Broken Vessel”.

My conclusion, on finishing reading this wonderful book is, Bethany has packed far more into her brief life than I have in over twice the years. Well done, Bethany, you are a great inspiration!