Crashing Through
December 30th, 2009
Tagline: “A true story of risk, adventure, and the man who dared to see.”
I’m not usually one to pick up books that could be potentially “inspirational”, but I had to read this book. One of the benefits (or curse, as some might see it) of being a professor is interacting with one’s students. I personally see it as a benefit. :) Anyway…a student recommended that I read this book after one of their classmates had given an interesting speech on stem cell research. It was stem cells that allowed the main protagonist of the book – Mike May – the opportunity to see again after years and years of blindness. (He lost his sight at the age of 3 in a freak chemical accident).
“It begins with special cells known as corneal epithelial stem cells. These are not the controversial stem cells taken from embryos or fetuses, but rather cells that exist in every person for a lifetime.” (p. 43) It was these stem cells and a fine physician that allowed May to have what is called a “corneal epithelial stem cell transplantation.” You’ll just need to read the book to get the full story of how it all works, but needless to say, it was a risky, complicated process that may not have even worked. In May’s case, it did.
The book is a good balance of interesting story and mind-numbing but fascinating facts about sight, how the brain works, etc. What really stood out to me was the spirit of Mike May. Even as a kid, the guy went “crashing through” life, refusing to sit idly by and let his blindness overwhelm him. He learned to ride bikes, play sports, excel in school, even travel to Africa by himself to help a remote village, and…this one makes me smile…become a world class skier. Yes, you read that right – skier. While blind. The guy’s drive is amazing and inspiring. He never quit at anything, ever. He lived his life with curiosity and a drive to finish everything he started.
…which was why it was odd to me to read that he (twice) suggested that he and his wife divorce. They were going through some really, really tough times financially and emotionally, and his solution was divorce. Thankfully, his wife hung in there, they went through counseling and worked things out, and they’re still together after all these years. But why would someone who lives their life with “failure is not an option” as their motto consider giving up on something some may view as “trivial” as marriage? If I ever meet Mike May, I’d like to ask him that.
The other thing that stood out to me was the complexity of the operations and the stem cells. The issue of stem cell research is not as simple as “yes/no”. There are different types of stem cells, and I personally believe that certain types should not be experimented on, etc. However, stem cell research really does have promising applications for people like Mike May and others, and to ban it outright and lump all stem cells together is ignorant and foolish. Reading this book was definitely a wake-up call to me to attempt to be more informed on the issue since, as a citizen of the U.S.A., I may be asked to vote on such issues in the future.
Overall, the book was worth reading, and I am glad my student took the time to look up the author and title for me.
According to Mike’s company’s website, a movie is in the works, and when it comes out, I’d definitely give it a look-sy. In the meantime, I’ll keep on reading…
Suggested Links:
- Sendero Group – Mike May’s company that makes these amazing GPS devices for the blind
- Travel Blog – the Sendero travel blog
- Stem Cells – Wikipedia, for an intro