Review of First Survivor
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Xinong He
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- Latest Review: First Survivor by Mark Unger
Review of First Survivor
[Following is a volunteer review of "First Survivor" by Mark Unger.]
At age 3, Louis Unger was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. He goes through surgeries, radioactive scans, injections, and more as medical issues constantly arise. Louis had received support from his parents, expert surgeons, doctors, and people from the community. He fought cancer with bravery and strength, and after a year of being diagnosed, he became fully clean. This book was not only a touching read, but it was also educational. There were many new things I had learned about neuroblastoma, cancer, and the medical industry in general. The timeline, glossary, resources, and medical background section at the end of the book was a wonderful touch to the book as it provided a lot more clarity to all the medical terms in the memoir.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, constantly surprising me with every chapter. Whenever I felt things were finally going well, things turned dark again. It is admirable that with all those obstacles that came to the family over and over again, they persevered and never gave up hope. Mark wrote the book in a way that I could feel all the emotions that Mark Unger (Louis’ father) and Mary Ellen (Louis’ mother) were going through during this horrible process. The photographs were a nice touch as they reminded me that this happened to a family in real life and that it wasn't a fictional story. However, it did make me tear up a bit. Especially the pictures at the end of the book, with Louis healthy and grown up.
Furthermore, Mark Unger’s respect and care for his family were present for the entire book, and it was clear that he loved everyone in his family. There was a nice family element throughout the whole memoir. When Mark noticed his wife taking a toll due to the situation and took her out to dinner, my respect for Mark increased. I have to say, though, that when I read, “I cried, not only for the joy of seeing Harry but also for the heartbreak of the fact that a six-year-old would consider seeing his parents a special occasion” (Page 110). I sobbed internally.
The book also showcased two very present issues in healthcare: prices and patient advocacy. It made me worry for my own family, as my parents are low-income immigrants. Although I’m fluent in English because I was born in North America, my parents are far from fluent. I can’t help but worry for them as they wouldn’t have the funds to support them, and they have a language barrier that can prevent them from advocating for their health concerns as Louis’ parents advocated for Louis.
Both parents gave it their all to ensure their boy was okay, which paid off. Louis Unger and his family have saved countless lives of other people who have neuroblastoma with the Unger Protocol. Throughout all the obstacles they have gone through, they never lost hope and succeeded in successfully saving Louis. Even though I have never met or talked to Mark Unger or his family, I feel incredibly proud of them for surviving this ordeal.
I give this book a ⅘. The only reason it’s not a 5/5 was because there were too many grammar issues to be considered perfect, but everything else was splendid. This book is a must-read for everyone above the age of thirteen, as it opened my eyes to so many things while being extremely heartwarming. However, I would especially recommend it to anyone dealing with cancer or neuroblastoma, as they’d get advice and resources and understand that they’re not alone in this struggle. For profanity, there is some borderline profanity such as damned, pissed off, and hurt like hell. Please do note that this book is not for the faint of heart, as those operations done on a 3-year-old boy were shocking and could make a grown man faint.
******
First Survivor
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
At age 3, Louis Unger was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. He goes through surgeries, radioactive scans, injections, and more as medical issues constantly arise. Louis had received support from his parents, expert surgeons, doctors, and people from the community. He fought cancer with bravery and strength, and after a year of being diagnosed, he became fully clean. This book was not only a touching read, but it was also educational. There were many new things I had learned about neuroblastoma, cancer, and the medical industry in general. The timeline, glossary, resources, and medical background section at the end of the book was a wonderful touch to the book as it provided a lot more clarity to all the medical terms in the memoir.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, constantly surprising me with every chapter. Whenever I felt things were finally going well, things turned dark again. It is admirable that with all those obstacles that came to the family over and over again, they persevered and never gave up hope. Mark wrote the book in a way that I could feel all the emotions that Mark Unger (Louis’ father) and Mary Ellen (Louis’ mother) were going through during this horrible process. The photographs were a nice touch as they reminded me that this happened to a family in real life and that it wasn't a fictional story. However, it did make me tear up a bit. Especially the pictures at the end of the book, with Louis healthy and grown up.
Furthermore, Mark Unger’s respect and care for his family were present for the entire book, and it was clear that he loved everyone in his family. There was a nice family element throughout the whole memoir. When Mark noticed his wife taking a toll due to the situation and took her out to dinner, my respect for Mark increased. I have to say, though, that when I read, “I cried, not only for the joy of seeing Harry but also for the heartbreak of the fact that a six-year-old would consider seeing his parents a special occasion” (Page 110). I sobbed internally.
The book also showcased two very present issues in healthcare: prices and patient advocacy. It made me worry for my own family, as my parents are low-income immigrants. Although I’m fluent in English because I was born in North America, my parents are far from fluent. I can’t help but worry for them as they wouldn’t have the funds to support them, and they have a language barrier that can prevent them from advocating for their health concerns as Louis’ parents advocated for Louis.
Both parents gave it their all to ensure their boy was okay, which paid off. Louis Unger and his family have saved countless lives of other people who have neuroblastoma with the Unger Protocol. Throughout all the obstacles they have gone through, they never lost hope and succeeded in successfully saving Louis. Even though I have never met or talked to Mark Unger or his family, I feel incredibly proud of them for surviving this ordeal.
I give this book a ⅘. The only reason it’s not a 5/5 was because there were too many grammar issues to be considered perfect, but everything else was splendid. This book is a must-read for everyone above the age of thirteen, as it opened my eyes to so many things while being extremely heartwarming. However, I would especially recommend it to anyone dealing with cancer or neuroblastoma, as they’d get advice and resources and understand that they’re not alone in this struggle. For profanity, there is some borderline profanity such as damned, pissed off, and hurt like hell. Please do note that this book is not for the faint of heart, as those operations done on a 3-year-old boy were shocking and could make a grown man faint.
******
First Survivor
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: First Survivor by Mark Unger
