Live Your Life

 

Live Your Life

By: Amanda & Anna Kloots

Genre: Memoirs

Summary:

When COVID came to the U.S. life as we knew it changed. The virus spread faster than the facts we needed to know about it. Amanda Kloots was forced to face this nightmare when it hit her husband. Facing the unknowns all while on lockdown and bringing up her infant son was nothing short of a nightmare. Here she shares the story of their life, his illness and the battle they desperately fought to the bitter, heartbreaking end.

2020 was a nightmare year. Life turned upside down with 5 letters: COVID. Life came to a scary, screeching halt as we watched hundreds of thousands get hit. While many recovered, many did not. And as the virus spread like the wildfire, the facts and information about it weren't as quick in coming. Fear reigned. Nick Cordero's case was one of the first that took early theories and threw them by the wayside. He was young- in his 40s- and had no pre-existing conditions. He was healthy. There was no reason to think he would get the virus and fully recover, if he did get it. Until he caught it and never recovered. What Amanda thought was  going to be an hour, or so, visit to the ER became the last time she ever talked to him again.

Amanda takes you on her emotional journey as they admitted him into the ICU- and he never left. 90+ days of him showing signs of improvement one minute only to take a turn for the worse the next. Times of doctors saying his numbers looking good and having hope of getting him off the machines. Times of medicines that helped other patients not helping him. Times of being told to get to the hospital as soon as possible because they didn't think Nick would survive a few more hours. The fight to get into the hospital to see him. The phone calls in the middle of the night. Amanda puts you right there with her. 

While she's in the fight for her husband's life, she also has a baby boy, Elvis, to take care of. You'll read how her family dropped their lives to come help her. You'll read how a neighborhood steeped up to help in any way they could. You'll read how celebrities got involved. These were my favorite parts to read. Her fight didn't stay just hers. A whole community of fighters was created in a time when it was needed. 

 Live Your Life is an emotional book. You'll be touched by strangers' generosity, you'll cry at the heartbreaking reality of this virus. You'll think he's going to get better. You'll be sad when he doesn't.  

You'll be shocked when you learn of the damage this virus did to his body. By the time you read the last word, you will have been all over the emotional map and have kept Kleenex in business. 

As devastating as Nick's story is, it's remarkably heartwarming, too. I smiled and cried my way through the pages. I thank Amanda and Anna for sharing their story as openly as they did. May every reader be blessed by it in some way.