Condemned to Die: Ask Me How. Tell Me Why.

Condemned to Die: Ask me how. Tell me why. is the story of my daughter Brenna's valiant fight to recover from her brain injury. I am her proud mother. I spent over six thousand hours in sixteen months by her side. I am a widow and Brenna was my only child, the child of my heart. She was not a burden. Taking care of her was never a sacrifice, and I am no hero. Along her journey, we experienced the underbelly of today's health care system, but along the way, God gave us strength for each day. Before Brenna's illness, she always reminded me that God had a plan for her life. I thought the voice people heard would be hers. She passed away on October 1, 2011 of a sudden cardiac arrest at twenty-eight. She passed the baton to me. Her voice, her story, resulted in this book. She would expect nothing less from her mother. Along with writing her story and my reflections of the journey, in Brenna's honor, I plan to advocate for changes in the health care system for patients who suffer anoxic brain injuries. Her last sixteen months must count for something. Her life cannot be in vain. Proceeds from this book will establish Brenna's Hope Foundation, with the focus on research in rehabilitation of patients with anoxic brain injury.