Crash: A Mother, A Son, and the Journey from Grief to Gratitude

Crash: A Mother, a Son, and the Journey from Grief to Gratitude is a memoir by Carolyn Roy-Bornstein, MD, about overcoming unexpected obstacles brought to her family, changing both her and her son's life forever. In hopes of spreading awareness about the repercussions of drunk driving and brain injuries, she shares the details about how her and her family coped with the unfortunate accident. This book depicts her different perspectives, one as a mother who's son was the victim, and as a doctor who couldn't control what was happening.

Author

Carolyn Roy-Bornstein, MD, is an American, award-winning author and monthly writer of a health column titled, "Pediatric Points", in Pediatrics for Parents. Many of her writings have appeared in The Boston Globe, The Journal of the American Medical Association, Pediatrics, Yale Journal of Humanities in Medicine, Kaleidoscope: Exploring the Experience of Disability Through Literature and the Fine Arts, and Chicken Soup for the Soul. She first entered the medical field as a nurse, working in the ICU, burn unit, and newborn nursery, which is when she fell in love with working with children. While working as a nurse she observed how the residents would diagnose and write orders and knew she could do that as well. She then decided to pursue a medical degree at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and became a pediatric doctor. She has been in the medical field for over 20 years.

Roy-Bornstein is married and has two biological sons and two foster daughters. She speaks about her youngest son, Neil, who was the victim of the car accident in her book, Crash: A Mother, a Son, and the Journey from Grief to Gratitude. Her son's resulting brain injury inspired her to research more about brain injuries and learn about how it affects people's personalities and more. She even became an ambassador for the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts.

Works

• Last Stop on the Struggle Bus (coming soon)
• Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brian Injuries: 101 Stories of Hope, Healing, and Hard Work (2014)

Summary

On the night of January 7, 2003, Carolyn's son, Neil, expected to walk his girlfriend home, but unfortunately never made it. The author, Carolyn Roy-Bornstein was unpleasantly surprised when she received a phone call stating that two teenagers had been in a catastrophic accident. She ran to the scene of the tragedy, only to find that the worst possible thing she had imagined, had come true. After being rushed to the hospital she finds out that her son appears to be fine and only received a leg injury. Her son's girlfriend, Trista, however, was in critical condition. Carolyn is now put in a position she is not used to. She is used to being a doctor and in charge, but now she is on the other side, as a patient's mother. She describes how the nurses and physicians treat Neil and herself and she compares it to her experiences working as a nurse and physician. Although Neil survived, the crash definitely impacted his and his family's life forever. Neil was left with several brain injuries which resulted in personality change and depression. Carolyn became intrigued by Neil's brain injuries and changes and decided to do more research. From this, she discovered that Neil's depression was not due to the loss of his first love, but that it originated from his brain injuries. With the help of his teachers and therapists, Neil is able to go back and finish high school. He was able to achieve his dream of becoming a teacher despite his obvious difficulties. Unfortunately, after being a teacher for some time, he was let go because of his depression. After being let go, he began to work with his brother and father in their family business. However, after working here, his dream was rekindled, inspiring him to continue his education and pursue a graduates degree. He was able to live out his dream.

Characters

• Carolyn Roy-Bornstein is the mother of Neil and Dan. She is a pediatric physician and writer. She is the person telling the story and experience.
• Saul Bonstein is the father of Neil and Dan. He is married to Carolyn.
• Neil Bornstein is the main character of Crash. He suffered a serious brain injury.
• Dan Bornstein is Neil's brother. He is Carolyn and Saul's eldest son.
• Trista Zincks was Neil's girlfriend, who was with Neil in the accident.
• Mary Zincks is the mother of Trista.

Reviews

“A remarkable testament exploring one family’s courageous journey through a medical nightmare and a new beginning.” -Publisher's Weekly

"A true testament of the unique love, dedication, and human spirit of a family shattered by an unthinkable accident. Beautifully written...heartbreakingly intimate...unwaveringly honest." - Julia Fox Garrison

“Roy-Bornstein reminds us, with heart-breaking prose, that life is a journey and a mother's heart is a powerful weapon.” -Lee Woodruff, author of Perfectly Imperfect

References

• "Carolyn Roy-Bornstein M.D." Psychology Today. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
• "Doctor's Who Create"
• "Carolyn Roy-Bornstein" .
• "Reviews for Crash". Carolyn Roy-Bornstein. Retrieved 2019-12-13.
• Roy-Bornstein, MD, Carolyn (2012). Crash: A Mother, a Son, and the Journey from Grief to Gratitude. Globe Pequot Press.

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