Changed By Chance: My Journey of Triumph Over Tragedy

by Elizabeth Barker

Overview

Elizabeth Barker spent years planning and working hard to achieve her version of the American dream - one that is supposed to culminate in parenthood and the role of supermom. But when her first child is born with Down syndrome and a fatal heart condition, her dream suddenly becomes a nightmare. And that’s only the beginning... Liz’s new reality is a detoured obstacle course of life altering encounters, medical mishaps, a breast cancer diagnosis, and cruel hardships. From the moment of her daughter’s birth, she is pummeled with life lessons that no schooling or formal education could have ever taught her. Can Liz keep her sanity and some semblance of her former self alive and well through all of this? Changed by Chance is a courageous story of soul searching introspection about how this champion acquired the necessary life skills to Triumph over Tragedy. Her inspiring journey offers a roadmap to others who may face their own bumps in the road.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631528101
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	09/15/2015
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

A native of Philadelphia, Elizabeth Barker is an author, speaker and an award winning career mom. Liz has been a guest on radio and television, sharing her transformational journey of becoming a Champion by Choice. Learn more about Liz’s life lessons learned and her inspirational mission to fulfill a prophecy of triumph over tragedy on her website www.changedbychance.com

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Birth 7

From Dream to Nightmare 17

Survival Tactics 25

Unwanted Life Lessons 39

Homecoming 53

HMO Stands for "Hand Money Over" 63

Just Breathe 71

The Next Bend in the Road 85

New Normal 95

Welcome to Holland 103

Downward Spiral 117

Read in the Stars 125

The C Word 133

Champions 145

Juggling Act 161

From Then to Now 171

Acknowledgments 179

About the Author 183

Editorial Reviews

[Changed by Chance] is a heartbreaking, inspirational story of perseverance through a maelstrom of tragic events that Barker manages to triumph over. The experiences in this book seem almost too harrowing to be true, yet the author’s intelligent, clear prose will keep readers grounded. It’s food for thought for every reader.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“This stunningly honest and intimate memoir is a moving and inspiring testament to the enduring power of love to strengthen us and heal us after even the most challenging of obstacles have been thrown our way. Liz Barker is the mom we all would wish to be.”
—Emily Perl Kingsley, Sesame Street writer for 45 years

“Elizabeth Barker had to learn the hard way about being an advocate for health care. Readers will gain inspiration from her tenacity, courage, and passion, and the positive att itude that enabled her to live beyond the loss of her child, as well as part of herself, with a breast cancer diagnosis.”
—Jean Sachs, MSS, MLSP, CEO of Living Beyond Breast Cancer

“This stunningly honest and intimate memoir is a moving and inspiring testament to the enduring power of love to strengthen us and heal us after even the most challenging of obstacles have been thrown our way.”
—Emily Perl Kingsley, author and Emmy-award-winning writer for Sesame Street

“Elizabeth Barker’s remarkable story offers valuable life lessons and inspirations. It reminds us to greet others with open hearts and empathy because you simply don’t know the obstacles that they have overcome. It is a compelling tribute to a truly special child.”
—Catie Tobin, Head Correspondent, RBC Wealth Management

“Liz’s story is so real and relatable. You will be struck by her candor and inspired by her strength. Her 'Angel Moments,' as she describes them, reminds us that we really are spiritual beings having a human experience. You will read some rather amazing, magical moments of synchronicity and foreshadowing. Her grateful attitude has fueled her with positive energy to attract good things despite being challenged by many, many difficult moments in her life. She has definitely 'Triumphed Over Tragedy' and continues on a positive journey. She reminds us all that we can triumph too.”
—Nancy P. Ottaviano, WinningEDGE, www.WinningEdgeEvents.com

From the Publisher

2016-01-19
Barker's debut memoir recounts a five-year maelstrom of tragic events that she and her husband endured in their attempts to start a family. In 1986, after an uncomplicated pregnancy, Barker and her husband were stunned to learn that their newborn had a serious heart condition requiring immediate surgery. Not only that—their tiny daughter, Lauren, also had Down syndrome. Both issues came as a complete shock to the couple, as neither had a family history of genetic problems. Yet this was only the beginning of what Barker aptly describes as a "vicious cycle of misfortune." Lauren was admitted to a subpar hospital, Barker says, because of their restrictive HMO, and she tells of frequently enduring callous, even negligent care from staff members. There were angels along the way, however—people who provided understanding and key assistance at just the right times. Despite this, the family's apparent bad luck continued. After surgery for an ectopic pregnancy, Barker discovered that she had contracted hepatitis B, most likely during the procedure, she says. Later, she delivered a healthy baby boy, but the joyous occasion was clouded by Lauren's upcoming heart operation, which was complicated by infection (also likely the hospital's fault, the author says) that led to the child's tragic death. Fate was not yet finished, however: after Barker learned that she was again expecting, a cancerous lump was discovered in her breast. The first doctor instructed her to terminate the pregnancy; appalled, she pursued a second opinion and eventually delivered another strong baby boy. The experiences in this book seem almost too harrowing to be true, yet Barker's intelligent, clear prose will keep readers grounded. The author writes of events that took place over several decades, which seems to have provided her with the necessary perspective to make sense of a tumultuous time. Readers who might scoff at the author's consultation of an astrologer will likely change their tunes after she tells of how the traditional medical community repeatedly failed her. When she poignantly declares that "Never again will we take any medical professional's advice unquestioningly," it's food for thought for every reader. A heartbreaking, inspirational story of perseverance through unbearable circumstances.

Kirkus Reviews