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A Mighty Boy: A Mother's Journey Through Grief
Silas is ten years old when the headaches start. When the diagnosis arrives, his parents are told they have until Christmas… maybe. And so begins Sarah Pullen’s battle to save her son, against doubting doctors and insurmountable odds. This story about love and loss traces her family’s journey from that first day at the hospital, battling a tumour they named ‘Bob’, through Silas’s death and beyond.
This profoundly moving and honest account shows that it is possible to find the strength for a journey that no mother should ever go on; that it is possible to find a new way to live, even when death is knocking on the door. It is about confronting grief – raw, ugly, incomprehensible grief. It is a book about wrapping a small boy in love, but still letting him get grubby knees. It is about learning to savour every moment of the here and now, yet also learning to let go.
At its heart, A Mighty Boy is a story of the love between a mother and a son. It is a book about seizing the moment and somehow managing to survive the death of a child. But most of all it is a book about a small, mighty, smiling boy.
This profoundly moving and honest account shows that it is possible to find the strength for a journey that no mother should ever go on; that it is possible to find a new way to live, even when death is knocking on the door. It is about confronting grief – raw, ugly, incomprehensible grief. It is a book about wrapping a small boy in love, but still letting him get grubby knees. It is about learning to savour every moment of the here and now, yet also learning to let go.
At its heart, A Mighty Boy is a story of the love between a mother and a son. It is a book about seizing the moment and somehow managing to survive the death of a child. But most of all it is a book about a small, mighty, smiling boy.
- GenresGrief
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 17, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 15, 2020
Beautiful and sad
April 25, 2018
A truly mighty boy.
This was an incredible book to finish 2017 with. After a number of mediocre reads this year, I laughed and I cried along with Sarah Pullen and her family, as her beautiful, vivacious son, Silas, battled with an aggressive brain tumour. Sadly, after battling 'Bob' for nearly two years, he eventually lost the fight, leaving the family devastated, and struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives.
One thing that struck me in the early chapters was the comment that the survival rate for cancer patients is greatly enhanced by being proactive; by researching and pushing for the newest, most up-to-date treatments available. Sarah fought for her son with everything she had, finding alternative treatments and symbiotic drug combinations, even putting him on a form of cannabis for a while.
She also discusses whether a child should be told that s/he is dying. She now wishes that they had had this conversation with Silas.
Finally, she talks about the reactions of friends and family. Death has become a taboo subject in today's world and people did not know how to react to the family. Some penned letters and cards, others texted, or called in, but those who upset her most were the ones who said and did nothing and behaved as if nothing had happened.
This is a brave book, written from the heart and sympathetically narrated by Antonia Beamish. To quote the author, “It’s about Silas and who he was, his personality, the things that drove us nuts, and what made him laugh and cry – all those things which I don’t want us and the boys to forget." She hopes that it will help other families who must follow a similar path, to support them and direct their questions, while helping them feel less alone.
This was an incredible book to finish 2017 with. After a number of mediocre reads this year, I laughed and I cried along with Sarah Pullen and her family, as her beautiful, vivacious son, Silas, battled with an aggressive brain tumour. Sadly, after battling 'Bob' for nearly two years, he eventually lost the fight, leaving the family devastated, and struggling to pick up the pieces of their lives.
One thing that struck me in the early chapters was the comment that the survival rate for cancer patients is greatly enhanced by being proactive; by researching and pushing for the newest, most up-to-date treatments available. Sarah fought for her son with everything she had, finding alternative treatments and symbiotic drug combinations, even putting him on a form of cannabis for a while.
She also discusses whether a child should be told that s/he is dying. She now wishes that they had had this conversation with Silas.
Finally, she talks about the reactions of friends and family. Death has become a taboo subject in today's world and people did not know how to react to the family. Some penned letters and cards, others texted, or called in, but those who upset her most were the ones who said and did nothing and behaved as if nothing had happened.
This is a brave book, written from the heart and sympathetically narrated by Antonia Beamish. To quote the author, “It’s about Silas and who he was, his personality, the things that drove us nuts, and what made him laugh and cry – all those things which I don’t want us and the boys to forget." She hopes that it will help other families who must follow a similar path, to support them and direct their questions, while helping them feel less alone.
November 27, 2017
First off I want to say I have nothing but respect for Sarah who throughout this book lays her heart and soul bare.
I admire the honesty that is shown not just from Sarah but the whole family, willing to be involved and have their story told.
I found myself laughing and in tears in equal measure as we are led through the days, weeks and months with Sarah, Silas and the family in a deterioating battle with Bob, the name of the tumour in Silas's brain.
The research Sarah had done and continued to do was impressive and I learned a lot of new words, I cannot begin to pronounce or or understand. Right up to the end of this story I found myself willing, hoping, along with the family, for things to get better.
Though the overall tone of the book is sombre and rightly so, it is interspersed with fun and fond memories which shine brighter than the dark bits of this story.
Having the narration being done by Sarah herself makes it even more poignant, you can hear the emotion in her voice throughout the account, it feels like she is sitting beside you telling you the story.
All in all I have never been in this situation before and I hope to never find myself there, but this book will be a great source of hope and encouragement to those who have been through it or are going through it.
I admire the honesty that is shown not just from Sarah but the whole family, willing to be involved and have their story told.
I found myself laughing and in tears in equal measure as we are led through the days, weeks and months with Sarah, Silas and the family in a deterioating battle with Bob, the name of the tumour in Silas's brain.
The research Sarah had done and continued to do was impressive and I learned a lot of new words, I cannot begin to pronounce or or understand. Right up to the end of this story I found myself willing, hoping, along with the family, for things to get better.
Though the overall tone of the book is sombre and rightly so, it is interspersed with fun and fond memories which shine brighter than the dark bits of this story.
Having the narration being done by Sarah herself makes it even more poignant, you can hear the emotion in her voice throughout the account, it feels like she is sitting beside you telling you the story.
All in all I have never been in this situation before and I hope to never find myself there, but this book will be a great source of hope and encouragement to those who have been through it or are going through it.
May 23, 2021
A deep and powerful read about a unique boy and his battle with cancer from his mother's perspective
I thought this book was a deeply moving account of a boy's last year of life from his mom's perspective. She did a great job of making her son become real to me. As a result, I needed a lot of tissues throughout. She also wrote about grief and how the family slowly waded through the next year, which I felt was
so important. Those who go through loss and grief, as well as friends and family who try to be there for them, will get a lot of insight on how to support people who are grieving.
A well-written, honest and moving book.
I thought this book was a deeply moving account of a boy's last year of life from his mom's perspective. She did a great job of making her son become real to me. As a result, I needed a lot of tissues throughout. She also wrote about grief and how the family slowly waded through the next year, which I felt was
so important. Those who go through loss and grief, as well as friends and family who try to be there for them, will get a lot of insight on how to support people who are grieving.
A well-written, honest and moving book.
November 4, 2022
A mighty insight
Four months ago ,my beloved granddaughter died after a massive seizure in her sleep , my daughter in law read this book and found amazing similarities in it to her own life and grief !
I too have been able to understand a huge amount that I didn't !
Thank you for sharing your life !
Four months ago ,my beloved granddaughter died after a massive seizure in her sleep , my daughter in law read this book and found amazing similarities in it to her own life and grief !
I too have been able to understand a huge amount that I didn't !
Thank you for sharing your life !
April 16, 2018
Heart breaking read, well written
July 16, 2019
This book shattered me in a way that was utterly unexpected. It is a raw and compelling account of a mother's journey through grief. I couldn't put it down or stop the tears from flowing.
November 29, 2019
Love
This book was hard to put down, I read it in one day. I cried many times for Silas and his family. I will never forget Silas.
This book was hard to put down, I read it in one day. I cried many times for Silas and his family. I will never forget Silas.
January 3, 2023
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your journey with the world, I would recommend this to anyone who has experienced a similar loss
Thank you for sharing your journey with the world, I would recommend this to anyone who has experienced a similar loss
January 8, 2024
Such a difficult read because of the heartbreak that Silas and the whole family go through following his brain tumour diagnosis. This book is told in two halves, the before he died and after he died so there is no let up in the heartbreak contained in the story, so not for the faint-hearted.
Well written with just the right amount of medical information, and plenty of details about the family as a whole and their lives coping with such a devastating diagnosis.
Well written with just the right amount of medical information, and plenty of details about the family as a whole and their lives coping with such a devastating diagnosis.
September 7, 2017
This was a beautiful story about a very strong boy and the strong family who he left behind because of a brian tumor. Although heartbreaking, I knew what I was getting into and it was a beautiful memoir.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews