I am not a victim- I am a survivor! - Tony Yarijanian (survived over 90% 3rd degree burns with only 1% chance of survival) There are recurring themes in this remarkable man’s life: faith and miracles. Destined to teeter on the brink of death not once but repeatedly, Tony Yarijanian seizes life with a tenacity we can only marvel at and be inspired by. His wife’s and children’s strength and courage are a testament to the human spirit. This is one of the most inspiring books about miracles, faith and human will to fight. Tony was awarded the Guinness World Record for "Greatest percentage of burns on a human body survived".
The R rating is due to graphic burn photos.
Excerpt
At home,it was her mom and cousins, aunts, and friends who fed the kids, took them to movies and restaurants, tended to their schedules and watched them while they played in the yard. Everyone agreed that at just two years old, Isabell seemed to have an intuitive sense for what was going on. she had a large vocabulary for her age and was often seen babbling to herself as she played alone in the backyard while Tobell was at school.
Ani's cousin first noticed the cherub-like little girl talking to herself days ago, but now she decided to get in closer for a listen. Isabell's strawberry blonde pigtails bobbed as she ran after a bouncing rubber ball. She had her father's almond-shaped brown eyes. Ani's cousin leaned against the support beam of the wooden swing set and pretended to look toward the patio. She kept Isabell in her peripheral vision as the little girl climbed the slide's ladder and babbled out loud. What she overheard warranted a call to Ani's cell phone.
page 168
"It was the most amazing thing," she told her cousin Ani. "She walks around, playing by herself, keeping busy. But she's talking out loud and no one's there."
"Did you hear what she was saying?" Ani asked.
"I did," she replied. "She kept saying over and over: 'My father will get better. My father's leg will be healed. He will walk again.' And Ani, both Tobell and Isabell kiss the picture of Jesus on the patio; just like you do."
ANI'S APPOINTMENT
Ani smiled. The once plain patio now had a reverent aura and it felt to her like a sacred place. Candles of all sizes were displayed in groups in various melted states of use. After fretful days of highs and lows at the hospital, her makeshift church with its serene statue of the Blessed Mother was a calm sanctuary, a place to relax and to refocus.
The finishing touch to the shrine was made that first tearful night when she and her sister added the picture of Jesus. It was a picture that once adorned the wall of her entry hall, but it felt right to add it to the patio church. Jesus' arms were outstretched and his sacred heart glowed, surrounded by arcs of golden light. Every morning before she left for the hospital, Ani kissed the heart in Jesus' picture. Now her kids were doing the same...it warmed her heart. That warmth would prove to be short-lived.
Reflections and Nature Watercolors is a collection of Margaret's spontaneous positive thoughts in celebrating and reflecting on life and her nature watercolors.
In "A Touch of Your Presence" are words that would inspire, encourage and strengthen one's soul when faced with challenges and difficulties and to know the awesomeness of God's power.
