Review of First Survivor

[KellyKeller]

[Following is a volunteer review of "First Survivor" by Mark Unger.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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First Survivor by Mark Unger tells the story of how Mark and his wife, Mary Ellen, learned that their then three-year-old son Louis had a form of cancer called Neuroblastoma. Because Louis’s cancer was at stage four, doctors gave him a 30 percent chance of survival with the recommended treatment plan.

What followed was a whirlwind for Mark, Mary Ellen, Louis, and Louis’s older brother, Harry. Researching his son’s diagnosis and treatment options became Mark’s full-time job, and the rest of the family worked together to care for Louis and maintain a reasonably “normal” routine for Harry who was only five at the time of his brother's diagnosis.

After treating the cancer and being pronounced “clear,” the family celebrated only to find out a short time later that Louis experienced a relapse. This time, the tumor was in his brain, a relapse considered “incurable” in children. Once again, the family banded together to try and save Louis’s life.

This story is a beautiful tribute to what a family can accomplish when they are united against a common enemy. The love and devotion they have for each other is clearly on display throughout the entire book. I appreciated the fact that, in the very beginning of the book, the dedication and acknowledgements both let the reader know that Louis is alive at the time of the book’s writing. It is much easier to read about the trials this little one endured knowing that he is alive and well now.

I enjoyed the book quite a bit as it provided a real look at what families go through when a child is diagnosed with a deadly disease. The only part that I thought interrupted the flow of the story was Mark’s decision to include excerpts of his notes from that time. He includes portions of them, and then returns to the story at the time when those notes were taken. In my opinion, the note portions were unnecessary as the story itself explained what was happening far better than the notes did.

Overall, the story is inspiring, and I would rate it a 4 out of 5 and would recommend it to anyone looking for a short, feel-good, true story.

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First Survivor
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