Forged through Fire: A Reconstructive Surgeon's Story of Survival, Faith, and Healing

by Mark D. McDonough

Overview

When Mark McDonough was a teen, a catastrophic fire claimed the lives of his mother and younger brother. It also left Mark with burns on over 65 percent of his body. During a long and painful recovery, his faltering faith in God was strengthened by a remarkable near-death experience. Inspired to pursue a career as a plastic surgeon to help those who suffer as he has, McDonough has overcome numerous other adversities on his journey, including addiction and a stroke. Now he shares his incredible true story of survival and perseverance to bring hope and healing to those dealing with great physical and emotional pain.

Anyone who has suffered or watched a loved one suffer from a personal trauma, disease, or loss that has tested or stolen their faith and exhausted their emotional resources will find real hope in this redemptive story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780800736545
Publisher:	Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Mark D. McDonough, MD, is a therapist, physician, and plastic and reconstructive surgeon. A graduate of Case Western University School of Medicine and trained in general, burn, and plastic surgery at the University of South Florida and Vanderbilt University, he has served as an adjunct professor in physical therapy and worked with trauma patients at hospitals in Ohio, Tennessee, and Florida, where he later founded his own practice. Married for more than 25 years, he and his wife, Joan, have three grown sons—Connor, Riley, and Toby—who form the popular band Before You Exit. Dr. McDonough lives in Central Florida.

Table of Contents

1 August 3, 1976 9

2 Roots 16

3 Rescue 26

4 Broken 37

5 Water 46

6 Rainbow 60

7 August 13, 1976 67

8 Tree House 79

9 Bonds 86

10 Aftermath 92

11 Progress 103

12 Dysfunction 110

13 Swimming 124

14 Therapy 130

15 Pass 141

16 Faith 153

17 Phoenix 163

18 Choices 173

19 Learning 182

20 Sailing 191

21 Sober 199

22 Desperation 207

23 Romance 219

24 Genesis 230

25 Trust 239

26 Surrender 248

27 Perseverance 256

Acknowledgments 267

Editorial Reviews

09/16/2019

In his gripping debut, surgeon McDonough parses the mental and physical trauma from being badly burned, as well as the death of his mother and younger brother, during a house fire when he was 16 years old. McDonough explains how, on Aug. 3, 1976, he awakened to loud crackling and intense heat; he frantically called to his four younger brothers and mother before plunging into the burning hallway to find them. Firefighters found him barely alive and badly burned next to a door to the garage. In McDonough’s intense account of tragic loss and arduous recovery from burns covering nearly 70% of his body he writes openly of his fears and doubts, and recounts his own near-death experience during a surgical operation that changed his understanding of God and his own purpose. “I may not know what the future holds, but I know who holds it,” he writes. “Like the phoenix, my goal in reconstructive surgery has been to return my patients to as close to their original versions as possible, if not better, through the restoration of body, mind, and spirit.” McDonough’s powerful memoir will challenge and inspire readers to persevere through even the worst. Agent: D.J. Snell, Legacy. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly