Book ~ "Five Years to Live" (2012) Frank Zaccari

From Goodreads ~ 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 man 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.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.

It is 1985 and life is perfect for Donna and Michael, who are in the twenties ... they come from close loving families, they are in love and working in jobs they enjoy.  When Michael gets a job offer closer to his family (he's the youngest of five kids in an Italian family), he can't refuse it and this prompts he and Donna to make plans for their future ... marriage and children.

But before he can accept the job offer, Michael gets in an serious car accident and all his plans change.  After months of operations and rehab, it's clear that Michael is never going to walk again and the doctors give him just five years to live.  The author's own family survived this situation after his brother was paralyzed in an car accident.

This is the story of Michael's will to live and make the most of his life.

I enjoyed the writing style ... it kept me wanting to read more.  I liked the characters ... even before Michael's accident, it was obvious how close he was to his family.  Throughout the book, you can't help but cheer Michael on.

I recommend this book and look forward to reading others by this author.