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While Jay Wellons’ father had hoped he would become a doctor to fulfill a dream of his own, Wellons majored in English at college. He took creative writing and studied the classics. But then, he writes, he “somehow kept taking pre-med classes and did well enough on the MCAT to get into medical school.” He went on to specialize in pediatric neurosurgery. This book of recollections about the patients he has treated and about his own path to where he is today is not just informative but beautifully and thoughtfully written. It clearly reflects Wellons’ early education and talents.
The book contains a number of stories about surgeries Wellons has performed, complete with lots of scientific information. Readers learn about various anatomical structures, particularly throughout the brain, down to the smallest details. And “smallest” is pertinent here: he has not just repaired brains and spines and other nerves in children and teens. He has also done fetal surgery, on patients not even born yet.
I enjoy science and medical books, where I get to learn intriguing new things about how our bodies work, and how technology has advanced to cure or treat diseases, for instance. Here, I get plenty of educational material to chew on, to be amazed by. But the stories are more about the children themselves, their families, the circumstances that brought them to his office and operating room.
We read about a little girl in urgent need of surgery who lives a hundred miles away from the hospital. She needs to be at Wellons’ hospital as soon as possible, and an ambulance ride won’t get her there in time. But the weather won’t allow a medical helicopter to transport her. Then Wellons has an idea, and with the right help, it succeeds.
We read about a 3-year-old boy shot in the head, with work done in the operating room that would make for compelling television. Wellons recounts each step he and his team take to address each issue, each layer in his skull and brain. And the boy survives.
Wellons also cuts away from his surgery work and tales of patients and their families to tell readers about his family—in particular his father. His late father was a successful businessman, as well as a pilot for decades in the Air National Guard. And in his last few years of life, ALS made it impossible for him to do those things anymore. The author’s love and admiration of his father shine through in his writing.
All That Moves Us is an excellent example of a good medical book. It is truly moving, powerful, and compassionate. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone. In fact, I already have been recommending it frequently.
Rated: Mild. Profanity includes about 6 instances of moderate profanity, 25 uses of mild language, and a few instances of the name of Deity in vain. There are some descriptions of bloody wounds, some accidents, and one instance of a man cut in the throat by another man with an ax.
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
