Young People and Chronic Illness

by Kelly Huegel, Elizabeth Verdick

Presents true accounts of young people living with a chronic illness including how they have learned to cope and remain hopeful; also includes strategies for living with a chronic medical problem.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

About the author

Kelly Huegel is the director of public-private partnerships for a military medical foundation. Previously, she worked for the Metropolitan Washington, DC chapter of PFLAG, where she helped provide support and educational services for GLBTQ people and their families. The author of two books and more than fifty published articles, Kelly has a special passion for working with teens and holds a degree in secondary education.

Reviews

[Bonnie Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie Chen 1/11/12
Writing Arts
Some might say that nonfiction books are boring, especially books that tell you experiences of others. However, Young People and Chronic Illness proves that thought wrong. This book is not boring or dull because it encourages people with Chronic Diseases to reach for the stars and their dreams. I would highly recommend this book to those who feel like they don’t have the ability to make their dreams a reality. Young people with Chronic Illness is a excellent novel because it inspires people with chronic diseases to find hope in achieving their dreams, sends out messages to everyone- not just people with diseases and tells you about people with different diseases and their experiences.
One reason I like this novel is because the author inspires or influences people through quotes, experiences, etc. For example, the author presents a quote that Helen Keller once mentioned. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but we often look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us”(pg 1). Additionally, the author tells us about her experiences and how she coped with her Crohn’s disease. Having a disease isn’t the end of the world. In fact, it can help you be a stronger and stoic person. It allows you to view life and everything at a different perspective and to not take anything for granted. Like life to its fullest.
Another reason I like this novel is because it is informative and inspirational. It teaches you how to cope with your disease and you can still accomplish a lot even if you have a disease. For example, the author graduated in the top 10% of her high school class, was the captain of the tennis team and was the best player. Additionally, when she was in college she was voted twice for president in her dorm, participated in many clubs, graduated with honors, etc. Determined and strong willed, the author accomplished a lot even with the presence of her disease. Coping with your disease involves knowing your limits, expressing your feelings, having proper treatment, etc. “All things are difficult before they are easy.” (pg 159) Don’t waste your time thinking about when you would leave this world, why you have a disease, knowing how the illness affects you, etc. Spend your time productively and wisely. Make the most out of it. These are messages for everyone, not just people with diseases.
The last reason I like this novel is because the book involves real life experiences regarding people with certain chronic diseases and how they dealt with it. For example, Stacy and Wendy, who are best friends, have lupus. They told us about what lupus is, how they felt, how they dealt with it, etc. For instance, Stacy never wanted to tell anyone about her disease and she insists that she isn’t sick and doesn’t need medical treatment. Hopeless, Stacy decided to deal with her disease all by herself. Over time, she learned that the best way to deal with it is to express your feelings. “You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and the best you have to give. “(122)
In conclusion, Young people and Chronic Illness is a magnificent novel because it gives hope to those who think that their life is over and sends messages to everyone regardless of whether they have a disease or not. It inspires me to be thankful that I’m not sick and to not take anything for granted. I’m not entitled to have anything, yet I have things that others want, but can’t have. We should all reach for the stars and reach the goals that we had set. This is the message that the author sends out in this novel and to the world hopefully.

[Kevyn]

Young People and Chronic Illness is about typical school children and teenagers that have to live day to day with diseases. These diseases make it hard to live the life they once lived because they may find that they might not be able to eat certain foods anymore or do any physical activities they were once able to do. This book is similar to the Chicken Soup Series because it is a collection of stories from different people. For example. in one chapter, we learn about Matthew Green who found out he had Crohn's disease in 1994. Before he was diagnosed, he would eat whatever he wanted, but in the summer of 7th grade, he noticed that certain foods would make him feel sick. A few months later, he would vomit after every meal until one day, after several tests were done, he found out he had Crohn's disease. From then on he couldn't eat many foods such as dairy, anything fried, fruits, vegetables, fatty meats,caffine, soda and more. Although this may seem like a lot of "off-limit" foods, according to Matthew it is not that bad. After all, he would rather be off limits to food than be in the hospital sick all of the time. This book is not a pity book. The authors who wrote these stories are not trying to make you feel bad for them. They are telling the story of how they overcame an obstacle in their life so they were able to live a normal life again. This book is great for anyone who has an obstacle in their life that they have to overcome, much like the Chicken Soup series.

[Genavieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I want to become a Child Life Specialist it was very informative and interesting I felt for the children and families having to go through some hard times.