| Written by Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak with Mark Tagg - Audio book narrated by Lillian Thayer - Unabridged Nonfiction - 7 COMPACT DISCS - 8 hours Publisher, Simon & Schuster Audioworks (April 2008) Listen to a Windows Media audio clip. Listen to a FREE audio clip. The stunning true story of two families trading places from graveside to bedside.Five lives were lost in a tragic accident involving a Taylor University van, and one young woman, severely injured and comatose, was rushed to the hospital. Families, faculty, students, and communities grieved their losses and joined in prayer and hope as the one young woman, Laura Van Ryn, fought for her life in a hospital bed. The national news spread the story, and people everywhere shared the grief and the hope. Five weeks passed for the Cerak family. Believing they had buried their daughter, the Ceraks clung to their faith and worshipped God through their tears, learning to look forward with hope to an eternal reunion with their lovely daughter Whitney. They spent weeks in mourning and grief, slowly moving toward healing. Five weeks passed for the Van Ryns. Keeping a constant bedside vigil over their precious daughter Laura, they sat and prayed and hoped. They rejoiced at each tiny advance toward recovery. They celebrated each sign of Laura's healing. And then the shock! "Okay, Laura, I would like you to write your name for me," the occupational therapist said. W-H-I-T-N-E-Y. An event that could be seen as pure tragedy becomes a celebration of life's unfathomable gifts and mysteries. About the Author: The Van Ryn family -- Don, Susie, Lisa, Kenny, and Mark -- of Grand Rapids, Michigan shares an avid interest in outdoor recreation. Don and Susie, married for thirty years, are leaving their chosen professions to dedicate themselves full time to an outdoor camping experience for youth in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Lisa is pursuing a career in physical therapy, and Kenny lives and works in Southern California. Mark is recently married and resides in the Detroit area. Despite the sorrow surrounding the passing of their daughter Laura, the family continues to be involved in the work of their local church and community. The Cerak family -- Newell, Colleen, Carly, Whitney and Sandra Sepulveda -- lives in northern Michigan, where Newell is a youth pastor and Colleen is a PE teacher and coach. Carly graduated from Taylor University and has lived in Africa for the last six months starting a new ministry to street kids. Sandra took a year from Grand Valley State University and joined with Invisible Children to bring awareness of the plight of children in Uganda. She is currently back at GVSU finishing her nursing degree. Whitney is now a junior at Taylor University majoring in psychology. She is confident in God's healing and the revelation of the Holy Spirit in her life. Mark Tabb has authored or coauthored twenty books, including the 2004 Gold Medallion finalist Out of the Whirlwind. He collaborated with Stephen Baldwin on the New York Times bestseller The Unusual Suspect. He lives in Indiana. | 
