Transplanted Faith

Transplanted Faith
A Battle of Courage
By Laura Bichler Hern

Treasure Line Publishing 2011
TreasureLinePublishing.com
ISBN: 078-1-61752-118-8
Genre: Memoir, Inspirational, Christian

Laura meets her soul mate, David Bichler at a church choir practice and it's love at first sight for them both. David's work as a mechanical engineer and math nerd, takes him all over the world and Laura is always quick to make sudden changes of address whenever he's sent to a new and different place. They are both lovers and best friends and it seems David has the ability to read his wife's mind or catch her when she gets driving tickets--which is rather often.

When their daughter leaves for college they are living in Texas, but David calls Laura asking how she'd like to live in Wisconsin. This is a relatively easy move and they are both excited to leave the heat of Texas for the cool weather further north, plus this brings them closer to their families. Their only priority is finding a suitable church home and community.

David is a healthy, large handsome man, never sick a day in his life, except for the occasional cold. Suddenly, he develops a cough while running a marathon race, followed by shortness of breath and he loses twenty pounds in a short period of time. He only complains of being a little tired, but his wife of so many years senses it's something more serious. David finally admits he isn't feeling quite right, but refuses to discuss it further. He feels if he ignores it--it will go away. It doesn't and soon facilitates a trip to the heart doctor who immediately sends him to a pulmonary doctor. This doctor shows David his x-rays of his lungs, portraying a white filminess instead of the normal black. Next is a trip to the hospital for a lung biopsy, leaving Laura and David shocked and frightened.

The surprising diagnosis is Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) which caused David's sister to undergo a successful double lung transplant--making her total recovery a miracle. David's disease progresses faster than lungs can be found, astounding his doctors at the speed in which his lungs are deteriorating. The disease progresses faster than lungs can be found and he settles for a one-lung transplant until a pair is ready. David becomes a shell of his former self as the disease continues to accelerate, destroying his quality of life. He hangs tough and brave as Laura beseeches God for a cure, then yells at Him for not answering her prayers. Is God trying to teach them humility? She wonders. Their lives continue to spiral downhill until David is hours away from going on life support . . . and certain death. His remarkable ability to face death over and over and live to greet another day is Heaven-sent.

Author Laura Bichler Hern writes a compassionate love story--one between her, David and God. She takes you through their tribulations, hopes and fears; always professing their adoration for their Creator. It's a rough, but inspirational journey as Laura stands behind her husband who fights for his life. A box of tissues along the way wouldn't hurt. This is a wondrous book, about love, faith and trust, one not to be missed and deserving of five Heavenly stars.
Reviewer: Micki Peluso, writer, journalist and author of . . . And the Whippoorwill Sang