“When faced with adversity we each must remember our potential and what we are capable of. Simon Lewis’s inspiring account helps us to understand that hope is real and that survival behavior can lead you to exceed expectations.”
—Bernie S. Siegel, MD, author of Love, Medicine and Miracles
“Rise and Shine is a brutally honest, yet compassionately gentle story of a journey away from life, and back again. Simon’s book should be a resource on the shelves of any person or family facing a long recovery of any sort.”
—K. Eric Larson, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Spinal Cord Injury Association
“As someone who has experienced tragedy over the course of my lifetime, I can empathize with the struggles Simon Lewis has endured, survived, and overcome. His remarkable and dramatic story is sure to provide inspiration to anyone who has ever faced such a difficult and heroic journey. Rise and Shine has touched me deeply; it is a powerful reminder of the magic and beauty of life itself and I know I will return to it in the future whenever I am in need of encouragement and strength.”
—Kelsey Grammer, actor, television producer, director, writer, and voice artist
“Simon Lewis’s vivid account of his recovery should be a guidebook for all disabled individuals and their families. His disciplines directly mirror the training of an athlete: ‘Go into battle prepared to win.’”
—Mike Utley, former Detroit Lion and President of the Mike Utley Foundation
“Rise and Shine reads like a medical thriller that speaks to the indomitable will to live in the face of grief, pain, debilitation and the indifference of the insurance companies that turn by turn conspire to undermine appropriate medical care and possible cures. This true story is a journal of the relentless interplay of hope and despair.”
—Michelle Phillips, singer, The Mamas & the Papas
“One of the most fascinating stories of tragedy, loss, endurance, tenacity and, eventually, triumph I have ever read.”
—Howie Mandel, actor, comedian, host, and author
“A beautiful account of a tragic experience. Simon’s courage, indefatigability, and pure humanity shine through every grueling step of his journey back from the rim of death. As he recounts each courageous and agonizing step, he shows us that, at the end of the day, healing is truly a reweaving of body, mind, and spirit. Thank you, Simon, for sharing your arduous, light-filled path with us. You give us hope.”
—Daphne Rose Kingma, author of Coming Apart: Why Relationships End and How to Live Through the Ending of Yours
“Simon Lewis reinforces the idea that a supportive family, and an expectation of recovery—even in small steps—can be powerful ingredients in a successful rehabilitation.”
—Greg Ayotte, CBIS, Director of Consumer Services, Brain Injury Association of America
“A true survivor of catastrophic injury, Lewis opens a window into the many struggles, hardships, and victories one encounters while attempting to navigate the healthcare system.”
—Jennifer French, Executive Director, Neurotech Network
“Despite suffering a terrible accident and the sad loss of his wife, Simon Lewis found dignity, bravery, and strength in his magnificent recovery. I found it inspiring and uplifting to read his words, which are beautifully written. Lewis’s journey and experience will, I am sure, give hope to many people like myself who are recovering from head and brain injuries, as well as to their families. Rise and Shine is a story of courage and determination, and it offers valuable insights into the world of those who suffer brain injuries.”
—Asad Ahmad, presenter and reporter, BBC London News
“Rise and Shine should be essential reading for all professionals in this field. And whether or not you are a health professional, whether or not you have faced a challenge in your life, this is a book that will leave you thinking about your own life and work in a new light. Simon’s story has inspired me to think afresh about the nature of the services we offer, how we do it, and to think much more holistically and even spiritually.”
—Anne Eden, Chief Executive, Stoke Mandeville Hospital
“Simon Lewis has transformed his own personal tragedy and pain following a horrific car accident by documenting his adjustment to the double challenge of losing his wife and discovering his own disabilities. His autobiography will inspire other neurological patients and their families and give them hope.”
—Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, Cambridge University
“I warmly recommend this book, especially to those who have been harmed by fate and who have lost their hope. New diagnostic technologies, as well as the involvement of biomedical engineering and biotechnology, can give a chance to everybody, even when it has been a long time since they lost their health. It is worth fighting for the quality of your own life like Simon Lewis has done.”
—Dr. Teresa Sierpińska, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Medical University of Białystok, Poland
“An eye-opening account of how helpless a patient can feel when caught up in the snares of medical care bureaucracies and the loopholes in health insurance policies. It’s an educational and inspiring story for anyone, but especially for those who are seeking care for a long term illness or medical condition.”
—Joy Johnston, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“A tribute to the determination of one man and his supporting family to succeed where others have failed. Almost a condemnation of the health insurance industry.”
—Jane Glenn Haas, The Orange County Register
“An account of the struggle to recover. Here also are insights into the practice of medicine in the United States, and the many fine doctors, surgeons, and nurses who restored Simon.”
—David Pryce-Jones, National Review Online
“A saga of struggle and redemption that is truly heroic, Lewis narrates his ordeal in meticulous detail, and he even provides a glossary to assist the reader with the more obscure terminology of medical care and insurance practices.”
—Jonathan Kirsch, Book Editor JewishJournal.com
“What hooked me was a section early in the book in which Lewis describes the surreal free association of memories, old dreams and new experiences within his traumatized brain. As I connected in this way, Lewis’ story rang true and I kept turning pages. Lewis faced years of challenges—some of those challenges similar to crises you may have faced in your own family. Clearly, Lewis wants us to connect like that. I like his honesty as a narrator and you will, too. I’ll bet many readers will quickly find personal connections in this pilgrimage toward health.”
—David Crumm, Readthespirit.com
“Rise and Shine is Lewis’ testament to the rebuilding of mind, body and spirit, a recovery still in progress after 16 years, and bedeviled by false dawns, the quest for elusive, state-of-the-science specialists, and health payout rulings that seem part black comedy, part punitive Stasi torture. An indomitable, latter-day Job, Lewis grips you from opening horror through 15 assorted operations to triumph as he walks freely again.”
—Madeleine Kingsley, The Jewish Chronicle (UK)
“Independently important information to enhancing the medical community’s base of understanding about brain activity, subjective awareness and varying levels of consciousness following brain injury. Lewis’ accounts of the processes by which he regained awareness and cognitive functioning were viewed by both reviewers as specific and valuable.
Lewis’ detailed accounts of his recovery following MVA [motor vehicle accident] forces a reflection on general adult recovery.
Both reviewers were convinced that there are audiences who will benefit from this story. The junior reviewer went back into her practice with an acute awareness of how important her role is in patient care, especially in finding proper and timely referrals for her patients. The more-senior reviewer saw the book as having its greatest utility as essential reading for health care administrators and medical directors that guide and influence frontline care.
This is clearly a book that highlights the need to treat every patient equally—that independent of insurance status, power and wealth, or having “VIP” status, all patients must receive our very best and must be provided that extra effort.”
—Journal of the National Medical Association, September 2010
