Inspiring Stories

This weekend I read two books that I found to be very inspiring. I am a sucker for stories where people overcome insurmountable odds.

The first book I read was Lifting Our Eyes by Beth J. Lueders. This story gives an account of the Virginia Tech tragedy and more specifically is about the life and death of Lauren McCain. It is a heartbreaking story with firsthand accounts of what the victims went through. It tells the stories of those who lived through the ordeal as well as those who died. It was a gut wrenching, but also compelling account. I am so sad for what that campus must have gone through on that terrible day.

 

The second book I read was Keep Climbing by Sean Swarner with Rusty Fischer. This book is Sean Swarner's account about how he survived two forms of cancer as a teenager and went on to become the first cancer survivor to summit Mt Everest. His account entails how he was told at the age of 13 that he had Hodgekins disease and would only live for 3 months. He went on to beat it and then was diagnosed several years later with Askin's sarcoma and only 2 weeks to live - this disease has a 6% survival rate. He had part of a lung removed and went on to live. He aspired to climb Everest in attempt to share hope with other cancer patients that it is possible to not only survive but to achieve your goals - even if they seem insurmountable. The book is a true story of survival and hope.