Bryan is an above-knee amputee on the right leg. This was a result of over 18 months of surgeries and infections. After his surgery and recovery, he wanted to help other people find hope as they come through grief and loss. Bryan wrote a book to help other amputees and those who have suffered loss, and he called it, Smile Like a Pirate! Finding Hope in Loss. From the back panel:
On December 5th, 2018, my life changed.
After my fourth surgery in eighteen months, I had to make a decision: go through another extensive knee surgery for a ten percent chance of keeping my leg, or amputate my leg above the knee. Choosing to have my right leg amputated, I was devastated.
After shedding tears for a couple days, I no longer wanted to cry. I wanted to laugh. I needed to laugh. So I made a post on social media that said: “Thank you so much for the prayers and support… I’ve decided that I can either cry or laugh. So my social media is going to be funny. Sometimes really dark, but funny.”
A dear friend, Jannell responded, “Is it too soon for pirate jokes?”
This book is not about my amputation experience. It is not about the decade of pain, fear, and grief from medical issues prior to the amputation.
Quite simply, this book is about hope. Amongst ten years of medical struggles and the accompanying grief and loss, I figured out where to find hope and how to hold onto that hope.
This book is about overcoming loss, grief, and difficulty through hope. Whether amputation, cancer, or even loss of a loved one, you can find hope. Just like I did.
Smile Like a Pirate! Finding Hope in Loss