King Solomon once lamented that there is nothing new under the sun. The great author, T.S. Eliot, famously wrote, “Good writers borrow, great writers steal.” In the case of this book I believe Ilana Estelle is the exception. ‘Finding the Calm After the Storm’ is not only enlightening; it is an honest to God original piece of work. How often does that come along?

What we have here is a book about cerebral palsy written by a woman who has cerebral palsy. It is her story and much more than just that. She takes us on her daunting journey of self-discovery and on that adventure, we learn principles that can change our own lives, whether we are disabled or not.

This book is a lifeline for anyone who has endured hardship on this great voyage we call life. It is my hope that Ilana’s teachings will help you as much as they have helped me.

Most of us have had certain books in our lifetime that we have returned to over and over again.

Unquestionably, Cerebral Palsy – A Story is destined to become one of those books. Written by Ilana Estelle in a style that is comprehensive and, unlike many books about self-awareness discovery and wisdom that typically include flowery wording and no shortage of fluff, this book, refreshingly, is straight-forward and tells it like it is. Cerebral Palsy – A Story, truly has something for everyone.

Though it is about Ilana’s challenges with her cerebral palsy and autism, it delves far deeper than that into her relationships, life lessons and struggles that ALL of us have experienced at varying degrees. Like your favourite soul mate, lifelong friend, or political favourite who will never quite make it to the top, this insightful book is, simply, good through and through.

Without being preachy, Ilana takes us on her life’s journey, leaving no stone unturned, and includes perfectly placed, potent quotes along the way from notable personalities such as the Dalai Lama, John Lennon, Winston Churchill, Rumi and more.

This is a book you’ll want to loan out to people you care about. May the laws of attraction work their magic; and may this important and inspiring book help bring a greater sense of clarity and balance to everyone who reads it.

As someone who has spastic cerebral palsy myself, the author's story really hit home for me. Although my conditions are not as severe, I still could relate. Very VERY inspirational, NEVER NEVER let your imperfections define you.

An inspiring story of a woman who struggled through adversity and educated herself to the point that she now guides others through their struggles.

With advice and knowledge based on education and personal experience, she continues to educate and enlighten all those who come in contact with her. An excellent read.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading Ilana’s book: ‘Cerebral Palsy: A Story: Finding the Calm After the Storm’. Her story is both an inspiration and an education, with valuable advice and lessons in life.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned above all, it’s to never give up on your self-development and your aspirations. I highly recommend this book – it’s a must read

I am grateful to Ilana Estelle of the TheCPDiary, for sharing her story in Cerebral Palsy: A Story. This book is a must read for anyone struggling with personal life challenges. Ilana shares personal anecdotes that shine a light on a variety of important topics including mental, physical, and spiritual health.

This book resonated with me on a deep level and while I do not have Cerebral Palsy, we can all relate to the challenges she takes on with a mature and retrospective lens.

'Cerebral Palsy: 'A Story'

This book is a spiritually driven masterpiece. A story of triumph through struggle and pain; I found myself RIVETED on every page. I will reference this book forever.

I really enjoyed reading Ilana’s book Cerebral Palsy: 'A Story' and reading about her experiences. It’s hard to believe these are her experiences, or to imagine how she coped or felt having to live with something she didn’t know about for so long and come through unscathed to live to tell her tale.

I believe we can all learn a lot from her writing and her experiences. She writes in a way that takes us on our own journey. Her book is easy to read and easy to understand. She teachers us about compassion, empathy and tolerance, she also teaches us about life and how with work on ourselves, we can change and turn our lives around.

'Cerebral Palsy: 'A Story'

Truly a book for all people. If you have faced adversity or sought to understand yourself and situation better, there is something for you in this book.

'Spirituality, Healing and Me'

Once again, Ilana Estelle shoots straight from the heart and hits her mark. With a unique blend of pragmatism and spiritual insight she lays down principles of inner healing that are both time-honored and fresh. Ilana’s wisdom did not come without a price; It was born from severe adversity. Her most recent book, Spirituality, Healing and Me, is a gift to the universe.

'Spirituality, Healing and Me'

I could not put this epic story down, finally a book that helps us to understand the process some experience during healing and growing. Inspirational and beautiful.”

Bryan Benson Spiritual Guide and Psychic Council Endorsement

'Spirituality, Healing and Me'

Experience has taught me that many will travel their entire journey having never realized the spiritual elements involved in their healing. Ilana Estelle is definitely not one of those people and I’ve very much enjoyed reading about the insight she’s gleaned from her powerful journey. This is a wonderful story of survival and personal development and I recommend it to anyone who finds themselves seeking.

'Cerebral Palsy: 'A Story'

This is definitely worth a read wherever you are on your spiritual journey.

About the book: Ilana Estelle grew up not knowing she had a disability; it took forty-six years for her to find out that she was living with cerebral palsy. Spirituality has helped Ilana on her journey and in this book she uses her experience of mental and physical disability in the healing process, to create positivity and healing for others.

Based on her own experiences of spirituality and healing, she shows how focusing on values such as understanding, compassion, tolerance, creativity and acceptance can help us find our inner calm.

The title of this book alone resonated with me so hard as one of the most beautiful things to come out of my MS diagnosis, was my connection to my spiritual side. I became a Reiki practitioner; I joined a women's circle which is heavily focused on spirituality, and I guess you could say it helped me make sense of what had happened to me. In fact, it was reading Rebecca Campbell's Light is the New Black that helped me to realise that it had happened for me - not to me.

Anyway, total digression! Ilana's book is great wherever you're at in your spiritual journey. It's not religious or preachy and it guides you through spirituality in such a simple and gentle way yet somehow covers off everything. Broken down into chapters that help you to take it step by step. It offers up guidance for spirituality as a means to heal whatever healing looks like to you. It's certainly not aimed at people with serious conditions like cerebral palsy or MS alone. Anyone can benefit and it explains why anyone can be spiritual simply by being.

This is a book that I think I'll buy a physical copy of as I want to be able to dip in and out of it in the future. It's been a much-needed reminder for me as I haven't been taking as much care of that side of me for the last couple of months.

'Spirituality, Healing and Me'

Having taken a keen interest in spirituality in recent months I was so excited to be accepted onto this book tour. Ilana writes beautifully about spirituality and healing and how these practices have helped her. In turn she helps the reader see how they can help themselves. It isn’t pushy or anything like that it just enlightens you about what is out there.

I really like how the book was laid out as it gave you information in helpful chunks rather than lots of information overwhelming your mind with no structure.

If you want to boost your confidence, become self-aware or just improve your wellbeing then this is the book for you.

I received an advance review #giftedgopy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you, Partner @Ilana_Estelle_Author, @RedDoorBooks, and @zooloosbooktours.

💬MY THOUGHTS💬

It's fair to say that none of us saw COVID or a global panic coming nor did we understand how long and the extent to which this would impact our lives at all levels. I've dealt with anxiety most of my adult life and like many, the pandemic sent me into a level of anxiety I hadn't known. I think the hardest part was all of the unknowns combined with a massive amount of people dying from this invisible killer.

Other reasons for my increased anxiety include my 90+ year old grandma being in an assisted living facility, my parents living halfway across the country in a state that did not lock down as much as Oregon did, and finally we unexpectedly lost my brother to a heart attack. Sadly, I wasn't able to go home for his memorial service and since it was outside it wasn't live streamed.

I say all of this to say, I enjoyed this book and can't fathom how difficult it was for the author during this time. I appreciate the author's candid tale is honest, raw, and vulnerable. In this book she documents her feelings and explains her story in a clear and concise manner. I was hooked from start to finish and found myself identifying with her in more ways than one. I highly recommend this book to all!

If you’ve read Ilana's first book then you’ll love this continuing journey by Ilana. Ilana really shows you what it was like for people during the pandemic as well as her own. Ilana not only has cerebral palsy but she also has autism. Reflecting back its eye opening to remember what it was like individually during the pandemic in terms of emotional, mental and physical needs. There’s something about reading another individual's story that makes you feel like what you encountered is almost normal and that we are not alone. It’s lovely reading how someone that suffered so immensely turned their life into positive motivations. It shows that roller coasters are meant to be ridden and hurdles are meant to be jumped over.

Ilana really hit home for me and I truly found this inspiring, motivational and heart warming. It shows you how even how the pandemic is over it can still leave challenging emotions that people continue to struggle with. You really feel yourself becoming invested into Ilana’s perspective and there is so much honesty written in the words. I’ll be honest and during the pandemic I was lucky to have my family surrounding me and it really puts into perspective how naive I was with how other people were struggling and facing individual challenges. This is a phenomenal read and truly beautifully written.

'Cerebral Palsy: 'A Story'

‘This book is a spiritually driven masterpiece. A story of triumph through struggle and pain. I found myself riveted on every page. I will reference this book forever’

‘I found it a fascinating and very readable book, with some very interesting thoughts. It is an intensely honest book, which I found genuinely interesting throughout… It adds greatly to the understanding of the effects of late diagnosis, and the effects of autism in one life’

‘These words are powerful, inspiring, and most importantly – doable… This book is not your typical self-help or inspirational book’

‘Thank you for such a great read! I now want to know details about her life, what is like for her to be a mother, and much more. I hope she writes an autobiography!’

‘I really enjoyed reading this book… The style is gentle and easy to read… It is not just for people living with a disability – there is wisdom here for all of us’

‘An inspirational read which is not just for people with Cerebral Palsy, but for anybody who has had to face challenges in their life’

‘The incredible story is about how positive thinking, healthy eating and mindfulness can change your life for the better. Highly recommended’

‘This book resonated with me on a deep level and while I do not have Cerebral Palsy, we can all relate to the challenges she takes on with a mature and retrospective lens’

‘It is a beautifully written book full of her personal story, medical facts and so much more’

‘I found the book very inspirational, a great story of overcoming challenges through life, well written and easy to read’

‘Her story is both an inspiration and an education, with valuable advice and lessons in life… I highly recommend this book – it’s a must read’

‘Truly a book for all people. If you have faced adversity or sought to understand yourself and situation better, there is something for you in this book’

‘Ilana’s story is astonishing, compelling and truly inspiring. You will have missed a trick, if you don’t read it! This book will and should changes lives’

Cerebral Palsy: A Story ‘This book is brilliant… if you’re looking for a story about an inspiring woman who has overcome a lot in her life and come out of the other side still smiling and stronger than ever then this is the one for you’

‘The book is insightful, sometimes painful to read, but most of all an inspiring account of a woman's journey to find her true self and understand her own disabilities in an able world’

‘An inspiring story’

‘An inspiring story of a woman who struggled through adversity and educated herself to the point of guiding others through their own struggles… I thoroughly enjoyed her book. A good read’

‘Very, very, inspirational – never, never let your imperfections define you’

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is structured as a collection of reflections arranged in chapters around the chapter themes. Some chapters unfold Ilana’s story, while others provide a window on how Ilana has come to terms with events and circumstances and the outlook on life that is enabling her to move forward.

The style is gentle and easy to read. I felt I was sharing a coffee and a chat with a good friend as I read. It is not just for people living with a disability - there is wisdom here for all of us. A book for anyone who enjoys conversations that go beyond the superficial things in life.

Cerebral Palsy: 'A Story'

A difficult read for a couple of reasons. A combination of the empathy I felt for the author as well as the clinical nature of the book. The empathy I could do nothing about as I tend towards those feelings when reading true stories of what an author has gone through, and I can easily understand the clinical nature as these are the definitions the medical profession use to describe these serious conditions that can in no way be glossed over or simplified.

Five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ inspirational stars for a read that will make you cry, give you hope, and cheer for the courage of this magnificent woman.

Cerebral Palsy: ‘A Story’ Finding the Calm After the Storm

My book Cerebral Palsy: ‘A Story’ Finding the Calm After the Storm is on a book tour right now with the lovely @instabooktours. If you like the review, please help support me, by buying my book.

"I jumped at the opportunity to be a reviewer for this book as I have read ilana_estelle_author's previous book Spirituality, Healing and Me and found it so refreshing, relatable in aspects, so when I saw she was on tour with the amazing @instabooktours, I jumped and prayed I’d get it.

Ilana has such a powerful way with words, she touched my heart with open and honest read. I don’t personally know anyone with Cerebral Palsy, however, I’ve read about people and seen people on TV speaking out about it.

I think as a child it would be very confusing wondering why you can’t do things other kids are doing; why you are different and not getting to the bottom of it – I can’t imagine what Ilana went through as a child, but I know from reading her books, it’s made her one strong woman today.

This is absolutely inspiring, Ilana is inspiring! This book touched my heart in more ways than one; she is so positive (although she had her moments throughout the book but can you blame her?!) she’s strong.

After the ups and downs she’s had throughout life, her last paragraph in the book made me cry… if I had the strength she had… I mean, I just applaud her, she is magnificent.

This touched me so much, my heart broke, I smiled when she had a breakthrough and felt strong and then cried when something knocked her down. My emotions were all over the place but moral of my review, this book is phenomenal. I am so lucky to have been put on this tour, to read this book and had the chance to – again – be in Ilana’s world for a little while."

@Ilana_estelle_author you’ve done an amazing job with this. I can imagine it was cathartic. Thank you for sending me your book, I will forever cherish it. And to @instabooktours, Vic, what a fantastic tour (even though I’m the first review) you’ve outdone yourself again.

Ilana’s book is an extension of her blog - The CP Diary which chronicles her life as a Cerebral Palsy patient. It has also become a community for people who are also diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Her blog is more expansive as it dates back to 2010.

However, her book is an intimate look at a woman’s life with Cerebral Palsy. This book makes me confront my own view and perception on how to deal with people who have medical conditions that outwardly affect their appearance and their cognitive, emotional, and social struggles.

In this book, it gave Cerebral Palsy a name, a face, and a life. It tells me that Ilana is more than a check list of symptoms. She is human, just like you and I, she also feels pain – both physical and emotional, depression, anger, love, and the most important of all, hope.

The physical symptoms of cerebral palsy is made real because it is being experienced by someone who lives and breathes. The book makes me aware that people experience these difficult physical symptoms. The symptoms are no longer just a checklist to confirm a diagnosis – but a painful reality that some people live with every day.

This book makes me realize that patients don’t need pity. What they need is understanding and a support system that can make them function in their pace without making them feel as burdens. We have to understand that people diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy may be a bit slower in their thought processes, so we must not hurry them or get impatient. If they ask for our help, we should extend our hand not because we don’t want them to go on their way, but we want to show them that this world is not full of insensitive people.

Ilana’s childhood was marred with difficulties in physical and emotional milestones as her illness made the usual things impossible for her to do. She was even misdiagnosed at first with spastic monoparesis in her childhood. Reading this story makes me confront my emotions – it forces me to feel the pain and sadness and hope for Ilana.

Despite the anger and frustration, Ilana is hopeful. The hope comes from not knowing what might happen. To some this might scary, but the unknown makes her think that there was something else left to be uncovered.

The physical disability also takes a toll on Ilana. We tend to forget that aside from the physical pain that these patients experience, they also have to cope with the stress, anxiety, and depression caused by the disability. It’s an eye opener that we cannot just dismiss their feelings – expecting them to be hopeful day in and day out is something that we shouldn’t demand from them because we never really know what they go through.

This book also highlights the importance of intuition and listening to your needs and putting them first. The more she became aware of her limitations, the more she used those to her advantage to succeed in her career and latter education.

Despite her diagnosis of cerebral palsy at the age of 46, and autism at 56, Ilana has survived her struggles with grace. This book tells us that we are not victims of circumstances, but we have a choice on how we live. I’m diagnosed with Bipolar Mood Disorder. Although our conditions are completely different, we share emotional struggles like depression. I have mood swings that are hard to control without therapy. It is sometimes challenging to see the positive side of life when things go south for me.

Ilana could have become bitter and chose to blame everyone in her life, but she consciously chooses to be realistic and hopeful about her condition. She still chooses to achieve greater goals in life. She refuses to resign to her fate. She teaches us that there are things that we all cannot and can control. We can work with those things that we can control.

In the process, we can inspire to change the system that worked against us so other people can live a better life. This book empowers people with disabilities and illness – we are more than our diagnosis. Ilana refused to be defined by her Cerebral Palsy alone. That is inspiring.

Ilana also offers a sound advice – “Other disabled people can concentrate on things their disability doesn’t prevent them from doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.” These words are powerful, inspiring, and most importantly – doable.

The description on how the brain works is very easy to understand. There are no complicated scientific terms. The parts of the brain’s structures are easy to understand, thus it’s easy for the reader to comprehend the difficulties of a person living with cerebral palsy.

Her letter to Cerebral Palsy is full one of acceptance, but she refuses to resign to her fate. Instead, in the letter, Ilana addressed Cerebral Palsy as a companion that she learned to work with as she lives her life with grace.

Ilana also highlights the importance of mental health. The body and the mind are interlinked intimately that it can never be broken. Cerebral Palsy’s physical symptoms can take a toll on the mind. We should never dismiss anyone’s emotional pain – especially those who are suffering from a disability. Ilana describes that it’s OK to sometimes feel down and even angry at what she was dealt with, but the most important thing is to rise back up.

The message of hope in this book is rooted in reality. It doesn’t portray the false sweet promises of positivity. It’s anchored on real human experiences of someone who is physically disabled – that some days are difficult to deal with. That sometimes, the disability can overwhelm everyone.

She also acknowledges that with her condition, the complications will get worse as the brain continues to deteriorate. The knowledge of that fact is frightening. But instead of giving up, she chooses to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Some people experience more difficulties with disabilities because their own family members, to a certain degree resent them. Ilana states that if we want society’s perception and treatment with people with disability to change, it must start with the home. Family members should be the first ones to show kindness and compassion, and the rest will follow.

Her argument that disability should be considered normal to achieve inclusivity may raise some eyebrows. How can someone who is different from the rest of the population be considered normal? They are two separate concepts – but when you think about it, inclusivity means accepting that everyone is differently-abled can also contribute something positive to society.

Ilana wrote that we as a society, still view them with pity. That we are still awkward around them, though it’s a normal human reaction. Ilana offers helpful guide on how we should treat family members with disabilities. The book uses actionable terms in place of abstract concept. She explains compassion is asking what the individual needs. She explains acceptance is engaging with conversation.

This book is not your typical self-help or inspirational book. It offers more than positive thinking that other writers peddle as life changing. Ilana struggles and triumph are raw because she doesn’t try to portray herself as someone who has overcome every challenge in one fell swoop.  She is able to balance her emotional experiences, without the dramatic flair. The book is effective in its portrayal of her struggles and successes because they are rooted in her truth.

She still lives with her medical reality though it is filled with trips to doctors, countless tests, physical, mental and emotional struggles. Despite all the stacks being against her, she doesn’t lose hope and inspires people and who are differently abled to embrace their condition with grace.

An inspirational read which is not just for people with Cerebral Palsy, but for anybody who has had to face challenges in their life.

Throughout the book, the authors positive approach to life and inspiring messages will motivate anybody.

The personal journey of the author shows real courage and strength of character. Overall, the message is that anything is possible and never give up.

An Inspirational Read!

Cerebral Palsy: 'A Story'

I admit to having mixed feelings about this book, but that overall I found it to be a well written account of a journey to enlightenment and from that, to acceptance of the writer’s uniqueness.

What I thought I was going to get is more of an autobiography, but that was a secondary part of this unique publication and its main message, which it handled well, helping others to find balance in life, though self-discovery and motivational learning. Though I found some of her thoughts around spirituality a little jarring, her advice around a wide range of issues such as why you should remain upbeat, the connection between physical health and mental health were inspiring and left me in both a reflective mood and gaining a greater understanding of why I should choose positivity over negativity.

She grew up never understanding why she struggled with school and why learning was difficult for her as a child and it wasn’t until she was forty-six that she learned why! Her disability was never talked about, growing up in the sixties, it was hidden, and this left her isolated and often angry. Finding out in later life she had Cerebral Palsy led her to build a life based on an honesty and knowledge. From this she set up a blog, charting how she changed her life and outlook.

The strongest part of this book is the call to arms that disability should not be hidden, that the uniqueness of each disabled person be celebrated and they be given access to a life without limits. Ilana’s voice is at its most powerful when it is advocating for everyone of every disability to be given the right to equality, that one of societies greatest shames is how often, we still prefer not to be confronted by what makes us feel uncomfortable.

She chose to know longer be hidden and worked to find a better acceptance of herself. She blogged about her life and experiences, health and well-being and her book Cerebral Palsy follows a similar style, short snappy sections that deal with a wide range of self-help techniques and how they shaped her life.

It is easy to dip in and out of and could act as a good reference when you find yourself struggling and in need of a reminder of Finding Calm After the Storm and how changes in lifestyle and belief system can help us all find our calm place.

Ilana Estelle's Cerebral Palsy : A Story Finding the Calm After the Storm is a book that both educated and moved me pretty much from the first page. I hadn't honestly known how I would feel when I began to read it, or how it would affect me but I was left in awe of Ilana. The book blends the medical information and Ilana's story perfectly and I liked how it was done in small amounts so it's not information overload as you go. Whilst obviously the focus is on Cerebral Palsy, there are elements to her recollections that will resonate with others living with disabilities. That relateability makes so much of a difference to know that a stranger can get the frustration, the exhaustion and the relief to know what is going on with your body when you've had to fight for answers.

This kind of book could be heavy and hard to read, be too much reliant on technical terminology but Ilana Estelle has assured that you can pick this up and learn about a person and their conditions. Whether you have Cerebral Palsy or various other conditions mentioned within the book or are simply curious about the condition, you are able to understand the illness though Estelle's eyes, the frustration of waiting so very long to have the correct answer given. I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been to spend so long being told you have one thing but knowing even subconsciously that it was wrong.

I was left in awe of Ilana Estelle, of the child she had been facing barrier after barrier in her life as she tried to progress through school and felt anger that there hadn't been enough support for her to succeed. I can't help but wonder just how different things could have been if just one person had acknowledged that it wasn't laziness etcetera holding her back and making work difficult. Sadly, something we still see occurring today in schools decades later.

Whilst the problems Ilana suffered with for so long were the initial reason for the blog that was the precursor to this incredible book? I am so glad that something negative first and foremost became a source of good for her, but has also become a resource and sense of belonging for those who follow and gain something from it and I truly believe the same will be said about Cerebral Palsy : A Story Finding the Calm After the Storm.

I'm so glad I got to read this... I felt a plethora of emotion and came away truly affected.

Like Ilana my birth was extremely traumatic both for my mother (who still at 76 years of age) bares the lasting physical damage of my arrival. She was quite literally torn to shreds internally!! The responsibility for this medical calamity was never addressed and funnily my mother’s medical records from this time (simply disappeared!!) I bet they did!!!

And as for me, I was literally ripped from inside her, there was damage to my skull, and I was left with a displaced hip (which nobody noticed until a family friend and GP) spotted my odd gait. I was 3 years old at this point and as a result, I spent most of the next 2 years in a full body cast!!

Let me tell you this was not a fun experience, for me or for my parents!! To this day, I can’t bare the smell of hospitals or plaster!!

The lasting damage to my head and brain wasn’t assessed and the first diagnoses didn’t occur until I was nearly 16 (right in the middle of my GCSEs) and I was suitability labelled as having ‘specific learning disabilities’… now you might be wondering why all my personal history is relevant to this review…

I want you to understand what led me to read Ilana’s book and my reactions here in my review, hence the personal bit at the start.

Similar to Ilana nobody until much later on in my life or hers could explain what elements of my brain were effected and what the impact would truly be… in this book Ilana puts into words and context the effects of knowing within yourself there is something wrong, but nobody seems to see it, understand it, or wants to explain it, never mind help you live with it. Ilana’s honest recounting of the tumultuous feelings of isolation, hurt, confusion and on occasions all-consuming rage about being left in the dark about the disability you live with…resonated deeply with me, heart and mind! I doubt anyone reading this book could fail to be influenced by its perceptive content.

Reading Ilana’s story; proved to me, that there are other people, who face enormous challenges, who feel as I do and this might sound odd, read this book brought me a sense of relief. Of reassurance that it isn’t just me or her, there as so many people effected. Ilana’s book is a journey of discovery, a revelation of her disabilities and herself, it is emotional and insightful, and she absolutely tells it, like it is. There is no soft soaping the truth of the matter, she is exceedingly direct and often blunt about the impacts and outcomes of her own discoveries and I can imagine to some people who read her story, she may seem aggressive in her tone and her force of will to get her message and experiences seen and heard. I think champions like Ilana need forceful charisma and big voices to be truly seen and heard…so you go girl…we are right there with you! I think it might be obvious from what I am writing that this book has had a profound and personal impact on me.

For those readers who don’t have the same connection to the content of this book, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it. There is a great deal to be gained from Ilana’s thoughts and ideas; chiefly the need for society to invest time to examine and understand disabilities, their physical and emotional costs and provide relevant support to those who live with them. I love that this book and Ilana’s story is completely accessible to all her readers and she talks at length with utter clarity about the medical complexities, diagnosis’s and the efforts she’s taken to improve her physical and mental health. I admire her vocal approaches and that she offers practical suggestions and solutions to all, whatever difficulties or disabilities we are facing!

Ilana’s story is astonishing, compelling and truly inspiring. You will have missed a trick, if you don’t read it! Thank you Ilana your presence of mind, your courage and enough vivid attitude to make your voice heard! This book will and should changes lives!

Thoughtful Reading Bookophiles…