A PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGEON, HIS YOUNG PATIENTS, AND THEIR STORIES OF GRACE AND RESILIENCE
ABOUT THE BOOK
Tumors, injuries, ruptured vascular malformations—there is almost no such thing as a non-urgent brain surgery when it comes to kids. For a pediatric neurosurgeon working in the medical minefield of the brain—in which a single millimeter in every direction governs something that makes us essentially human—every day presents the challenge, and the opportunity, to give a new lease on life to a child for whom nothing is yet fully determined and all possibilities still exist.
In All That Moves Us, Dr. Jay Wellons pulls back the curtain to reveal the profoundly moving triumphs, haunting complications, and harrowing close calls that characterize the life of a pediatric neurosurgeon, bringing the high-stakes drama of the operating room to life with astonishing candor and honest compassion. Reflecting on lessons learned over twenty-five years and thousands of operations completed on some of the most vulnerable and precious among us, Wellons recounts in gripping detail the moments that have shaped him as a doctor, as a parent, and as the only hope for countless patients whose young lives are in his hands.
Wellons shares scenes of his early days as the son of a military pilot, the years of grueling surgical training, and true stories of what it’s like to treat the brave children he meets on the threshold between life and death. From the little boy who arrived at the hospital near death from a gunshot wound to the head, to the eight-year-old whose shredded nerves were repaired using suture as fine as human hair, to the brave mother-to-be undergoing fetal spinal cord surgery, All That Moves Us is an unforgettable portrait of the countless human dramas that take place in a busy modern children’s hospital—and a meditation on the marvel of life as seen from under the white-hot lights of the operating room.
- Published by Random House
- Jun 28, 2022 | 288 Pages |
Do you enjoy books that center around medical/surgery stories?
This is full of touching stories that not only center around these things, but Wellons, Professor of Neurological Surgery, Pediatrics, and Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurological Surgery (and I think there’s more, so let it be said that he’s a noted surgeon), shares stories that are touching, scary, upbeat, intense, and honest. I say honest because I would guess most surgeons would want to skip over their first surgical mistake. Wellon’s doesn’t. It’s included.
I love the details that are provided
▪ in some cases detailed information regarding the surgeries
▪stories about the children
▪emotions and stories regarding Wellons
If you, like me, are attracted to well-written medical memoirs, be sure to pick this up. The only reason I didn’t give this 5 stars was that I didn’t feel the pull to continue reading as much as I would have liked to.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy to review. I was completely free to post my thoughts.
Rating
What’s Being Said
“Breathtaking . . . Medical memoirs don’t come much better than this.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A compelling look into the life of a pediatric neurosurgeon . . . a dramatic narrative inside and outside the operating room.” —Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Jay Wellons, MD, MSPH, is a professor in the departments of neurological surgery, pediatrics, plastic surgery, radiology, and radiological sciences at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He holds the Cal Turner Chair, is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, and is the medical director for the Surgical Outcomes Center for Kids (SOCKs), which he co-founded. He has written op-eds for The New York Times. Jay Wellons lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his family.
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