We Are All Paralyzed: The Remarkable True Story of Choosing to Live After Four Life-Threatening Accidents

by Brandon Sulser, Kate Lee

Since he was twelve, Brandon Sulser has survived four brushes with death. One of those life-threatening injuries left him paralyzed from the chest down. Although his life story appears to be unfair, Brandon knows that life is only negative and hard if you allow it to be. And in his experience, we are all paralyzed in our own way, by bad choices, by circumstance, by illness, etc. His paralysis happens to be more obvious than most, but make no mistake; we are all paralyzed. But we don't have to stay that way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Memoir, Christian

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2019

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super inspirational! I'm so glad he told his story, and that I finally heard about it. His co-author Kate grew up in the same neighborhood as my family. This book was well written and interesting, I appreciated his honesty and story telling throughout. And I absolutely loved the relationships of his family members. 5 stars all the way. Recommended for all ages.

[Timothy Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It is a true story about a young man that had 4 debilitating accidents that each could have taken his life. They leave him a paraplegic. He is a fighter and has risen above his circumstances. He feels that he has been richly blessed. It just goes to show you, that it is how you choose to look at things that make you a success or not. He comes across some that suddenly find themselves in similar situations that simply give up and die. He chooses to live and tries to help others suddenly finding themselves in similar situations to choose life.

There are several quotes I particularly like.

“If you want to know how much God loves you, love others.”

“Some of the happiest people I know find purpose not in what they can achieve physically but through actions, words, and deeds. Place your worth on those things.”

“When people ask where God is, the answer is simple: He’s in you. It’s simple: if you want God to do something to help others, then do something to help others.”

A quote attributed to Reginald Vincent Holmes says, “The earth has music for those who listen.”

“The arrival of a typhoon is no time to dust off the gift of the Holy Ghost and figure out how to use it. . . . We need the Holy Spirit as our guide in calm waters so His voice will be unmistakable to us in the fiercest storm.”

“The Lord wants us to use our adversities to become truly great in the world by overcoming them. The devil wants us to become so discouraged by our adversities that we totally give up and let them overcome us.”

“For God loves broken things . . . and broken things love God.”

The first set of publishers rejected this book because they said it didn’t have a “happy ending.” Well this a true story about true life. It just depends on how you look at things. Sometimes this is just how life is.

[Heather W · Rating 3 out of 5]

True story, well told. LDS messages. I like this book of unperfect unanswered challenges in life with well turned faith.

[Kristen LC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Have recommended it to lots of people!! Uplifting, inspirational, helps you gain perspective. Invited my teenagers to read it (and they are) because it’s a story they need to hear and carry with them.

[Corinne Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Brandon Sulser, life has not been a straight, predictable path. From the time he was twelve, physical challenges and very real trauma have led to a life that some might see as tragic. After four life-threatening accidents, though, Brandon chooses not to see it that way. And make no mistake, it's a absolutely a choice - a choice to move towards the light of life instead of wallowing in the tragedies that have befallen him.

Despite my familiarity with Brandon and his story, I still found this a really engaging and enlightening book. It's told from a Christian perspective and I often found myself feeling really deeply for him and his family as he experiences the kinds of tragedy that can make you wonder if God really does exist. I appreciated his vulnerability that helped me have more empathy for those who are living with a physical disability. I crazy admire his courage and tenacity and while sometimes the message is a little repetitive, it's a dang good message.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first met Brandon at church during a Sunday School lesson that he was teaching. I was impressed with the way he directed the discussion and drew out other people’s insights. He had a way of making every person feel heard and valued. All my other interactions with him have been equally impressive, but when I read his book, I was amazed.

Things started clicking: why he was so kind and attentive when we were obviously new to the area and shy about it; his incredible optimism and happy countenance; the good feeling I get just being around him; his powerful testimony of Jesus Christ.

Quotes from the book:

“For those of you waiting to conquer your challenges, what are you waiting for? Now is the time in mortality to start climbing mountains. Some mountains we may never see the top of in this life. However, our view is always better the higher we climb.”

“Perhaps what is more powerful than faith is trust,” I told her. “Trust in the Almighty’s plan for both of us. Trust that there is purpose for allowing us, irrespective of our immense faith, to sit in excruciating moments far longer than we’d ever want.” I paused. “Sadly, people make one of the biggest mistakes you can make during periods of great trials. They turn from God in the very time they need Him the most. No situation has ever become easier because one has turned from God. Distancing oneself from light and hope leaves only darkness with no way to see how to navigate new and difficult paths. In contrast, if we let His light shine, we can see that this path is not a dead end. Though different than what we’d pick, it too has a journey worth taking.”


“Though the thought of darkness surrounding us at times can be terrifying, the knowledge that light will always dismiss darkness should fill us with peace. Yes, darkness is there. Yes, I have had to and will continue to battle dark times. But even as the adversary lurks at my threshold seeking to lunge at me, I know that there are concourses if angels standing guard... Perhaps even more important than heavenly visitations are God’s expectations of each of us. Many times we are the very angels God is trying to send to answer Jis children’s prayers.”

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I appreciated most about this book was Brandon's honesty. It helped me to understand more of what my uncle must have gone through. My uncle was paralyzed in a car accident when he was roughly the same age as Brandon. He didn't have the gospel in his life, and turned to drugs to deal with the pain that Brandon describes. He was addicted for 20+ years. He finally went to AA and was in recovery for 20+ years before he passed from complications due to his addiction. In the latter part of his life, he helped many others on their journey of recovery. Hearing Brandon talk about the emotional, physical, and psychological challenges of being paralyzed gave renewed my love for my uncle. His life was not easy, but eventually, with strength, determination, and trust in a higher power, he chose the best path. Brandon has done the same. I am amazed at his strength. He has shown that no matter what challenges you face in life, you can choose to live...and live well. I hope he gets all the blessings God has for him. I heard he has a girlfriend, and that makes me so happy

[D Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book We Are All Paralyzed by Brandon Sulser. This book is about how the author lived through four tragic accidents and kept on going. The most tragic of his accidents was when he broke his neck after falling down a hill. This accident left him paralyzed. He was debating whether or not to give up on life, and eventually he decided to keep fighting and did get some independence back. I thought that this book was quite inspirational, and I would give it 5 stars out of 5. I would recommend this to readers ages 14 and older due to the slightly graphic descriptions and pictures.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in one day. Perhaps it’s because I have a son who experienced similar trials at almost the same age as Brandon’s first accident, this book really resonated with me. In the epilogue Brandon talks about how some editors passed on this book because it lacks an “inspirational happy ending” but I found this to be so inspirational because it doesn’t have a happily ever after. Brandon’s candor and resiliency is so compelling. I highly recommend this book.

[Lynnae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about resilience overcoming, choosing life, and working hard. Brandon (after writing this book) married Kellie, a friend mine. After spending some time with them then reading his book I was inspired and grateful. I was reminded of the ability we each have mentally to choose gratitude, patience, and kindness. Wonderful testimony of God in the details throughout. Read bits to my kids and they loved it as well. Brandon is an inspiration.

[Spencer Merrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read that shares a honest and realistic look at trials in life and the real meaning of faith. It is thought provoking when considering our own struggles whether those limitations are physical, mental, or emotional - seen or unseen. It is worthwhile to read and consider how we, and others, struggle with life's trials and how we can better understand.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the author's story of enduring 4 life threatening accidents. He has amazing perspective and has overcome such adversity. He is honest and real about the ups and downs of depression and frustration of the things he can no longer do. I've also heard him speak and he's a dynamic speaker and very engaging.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting experiences. Nice guy, it seems. I hear that he's a good therapist. I wasn't quite ready for the thickness of the motivational speech and the pep talk. Im all for positive thinking and optimistic outlook, as a fellow health crisis survivor. But it was little too much "good vibes only" feeling for me.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brandon's story was very emotional for me. It was written well and you could feel the emotion on each mini story- fear, sadness, discouragement, happiness, joy, grief, pain. I am in awe of the courage with which he lives his life. Excellent read.

[Sarah Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hard-to-put-down book is full of inspiration and perspective. Engaging and beautifully written, I think it would also be appropriate and impactful for young teens. I want my middle schooler to read it! Highly recommend.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, heartbreaking and inspiring story. Brandon’s faith and outlook on life after so many hardships are a true testament to the power that attitude has in the face of adversity. He’s an inspiration to all.

[Melodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I cannot believe all the horrible things that happened to Brandon. It is amazing how Brandon has continued living in such a hard life. He has a positive attitude and extreme faith.

[allison toner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in AWE with this book and the insane trials Brandon went through. His faith was tested immensely yet he stayed strong and kept pushing forward with trust in our Lord and Savior. Really makes you think about life and the many things we take for granted.

[Jen Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very inspiring read! Brandon grew up with four life-threatening accidents with terrible setbacks at each one. He had literally paralyzing circumstances and he felt despair. He figured out how to turn to God and get a better perspective. Great read 5 stars!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! It's amazing how many times someone can almost die in one life. He makes some great points about how it really is just our attitude that we can control, no matter what our circumstances are. Miracles really do happen in this day!!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspirational! Loved it!

[Emy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a special person. God bless him in his continuing trials!

[Becky Littlefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling true story with a powerful message of hope.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting - just a bit preachy

[Debora Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that stuck with me. I can't believe all the author has survived. Kudos to him for keeping going.

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in bountiful and knew a lot of the same places and people Brandon talked about in his book. It was fun to have that insight into the story.

[Shelley DeVries · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think life is rough, read this book. I read it in 2021 and again in 2022.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I only hope I can have as much faith and perseverance as Brandon through my trials in life. He is an inspiration.

[Clayton Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to know how much God loves you, love others.

[David Bullock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting and inspiring read!

This was a great story of struggle and triumph and I was touched and inspired by Brandon's humor, resilience, testimony, and strength!