Hope

Can you imagine being locked-in your own body, unable to speak, to move or to prove to the outside world that you are actually still in there, willing for someone to believe in you, to hear your silent words?

This is the story of an inspirational young man who shares his journey through incomprehensible adversity and terror as he navigates his way through his teenage years into manhood from the depths of locked-in syndrome.

In early October 2011, Howard Wicks was a fit and healthy teenage boy, one of three brothers, manoeuvring life with gusto, enthusiasm and optimism, looking forward to leading a successful and fulfilling future in the adult life ahead of him. Howard one day wanted to be married, to have children of his own and a successful career. He was a great sportsman, popular with his peers, and everything was good; his life was happy and fun. Then one day that all changed in a single instant!

Howard's book includes many personal photographs; nothing is held back. He shares with you his deepest thoughts and emotions. It is clear to see that Howard's sheer determination to beat this horrific brain injury leads him along a very interesting and sometimes harrowing route to rebuild his life again. Howard has obviously tried to turn this horrendous situation for him from a negative to a positive by sharing his story with us. Perhaps it is cathartic to share these things, but it takes such bravery and resilience to turn this around. It is a truly privileged read.

Hope: Facing the depths of Adversity | A life with Locked-In Syndrome is an intriguing and emotional piece of writing. This book, written by a now 29-year-old young man, shares the intricacies of a devastating illness and how Howard Wicks dealt with living with locked-in syndrome after suffering a massive brain-stem stroke. It is a must-read, a real-life story written by an quite inspirational person with bravery, honesty and humour.