Chronic Kids, Constant Hope: Help and Encouragement for Parents of Children with Chronic Conditions

by Mary Bradford and Elizabeth M. Hoekstra

As the grandmother of a child born with spina bifida, I especially appreciated the authors' honest and, at times, heartbreaking stories about God's calling for their lives. That they have discovered joy, found patience, and received grace at unexpected moments while parenting their chronic kids provides valuable support for our own journeys. Debra Evans, family wellness expert and author Finally, a rare combination of practical information interwoven...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581341849
• ISBN13: 9781581341843
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Crossway Books
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Helpful, not fundamentalist

This book offers real hope with real substance for those in a difficult situation. If we didn't live in such a hyper-sensitive anti-Christian culture, one wouldn't have even imagined the previous reviewer could have called ideas in the book 'fundamentalist.' I feel for the people at that hospital who are being denied some real help due to a librarian's bias and discrimination. Read the book yourself, rather than letting someone else decide for you.

Hope is a Four Letter Word

No one is prepared when the doctor looks at you after examining your child and his/her demeanor gives away the news: your child is seriously ill. Everything changes. What was a normal day becomes a vacuum that keeps you and your family prisoner while the rest of the world continues to move, breathe and enjoy life.You feel you're suffocating as well meaning people throw words like "I know how you feel" at you when they can't possibly know how you feel. You vacillate between wanting to scream or disappear, finding that it's a dream and your family is intact. But it isn't a dream, and it won't go away. And though you shout "THIS ISN'T FAIR," and it isn't, nothing changes.As two mothers who are also nurses, the authors readily admit their medical backgrounds are not necessarily an asset when your child is the subject of chronic illness. They take you through the experiences shared by any parent who finds that in a few seconds, their future and that of their child has been forever altered by the ravages of the disease.There are implications for the family, and especially those for the caregivers and the siblings. Hoekstra and Bradford draw upon their strong Christian faith to answer in part the questions "Why?" and "Why me?" Their practical advice coupled with their spiritual insights make this a MUST READ for the parents of chronically ill children.As a grandparent of a child born with severe heart problems, the book was a wonderful find. It's been given away nearly a dozen times -- to parents of a child with a fast growing tumor; to parents sitting in the neonatal unit of a children's hospital; to a pastor who often finds himself counseling heartbroken parents who need answers.The final result will depend on the outcome of each story, but for this reader, the encouragement given by these mothers provided a way to endure the days of shock, frustration and discouragement. The sun is bring again, not because the circumstances have changed, but because the perspective has sharpened, thanks to Bradford and Hoekstra.