Bend Don't Break: My Son's Survival

About the Book

Bend Don’t Break: My Son’s Survival is a memoir filled with both desperation and hope. Austin’s mother researched. She prayed. She questioned. She did all she could think to do to help her son survive. Feeling helpless and lost, not knowing which way to turn, she trusted. She trusted traditional physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and more. Yet none were able to completely help her precious, tortured son. It wasn’t until her desperate search led her beyond the norm, that, at last, she found hope. Austin first experienced health issues in 2012 from an allergic reaction to a commonly prescribed medication. A rare, serious disorder ensued, followed by seemingly endless bouts of both mental and physical crises. For years, his mother’s top priority was to keep her youngest son alive. With every hurdle and brick wall that she navigated, she wondered why it had to be so hard. Surely others were seeking answers for their sick loved ones. In this age of information overload, where were all the answers hiding? Bend Don’t Break: My Son’s Survival is the heartfelt and profoundly personal story of a search for those answers. Its goal is to help other parents, and everyone who knows someone struggling with mental or physical health, to stand beside their loved one with love and support. You are not alone. There is hope.

About the Author

Cindy Weber was 52 years old when her youngest son’s illness upended her world. She grew up on a dairy farm in the rolling hills of Wisconsin. Chores were expected of everyone in her family, including Cindy and all ten of her siblings. Her parents were strict Catholics who worked hard and proudly instilled those ethics in their children. But, Cindy’s strong upbringing and life experiences proved little help when it came to addressing the precarious and unfamiliar terrain of both physical and mental illness.

Cindy has been writing this book on and off over the past five years. Bend Don’t Break: My Son’s Survival is based on her copious notes from hospital stays, doctor visits, and journal entries through the challenging years. Her deeply personal memoir has come to fruition with Austin’s cooperation, insight, and blessing.