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When the red Fiat pulled out in front of Adelaide, she squeezed her bike’s brakes so hard that she left 50 feet of skid marks along the highway. The last thing she remembers is being lifted into the ambulance and someone saying, “Her face is peeled off.”
She spent five days in a medically-induced coma, during which surgeons picked glass from her face, reconstructed bones and inserted a stomach tube. She spent another six days unable to talk, at times gasping for air, enduring leech treatments to keep her necrotizing lip alive, and fearing a crippling bipolar episode.
Without knowing what neurological damage or permanent disfigurement she’d be left with, her boyfriend Kennett proposed to Adelaide daily in the hospital, until she became conscious. But her recovery would extend far beyond the hospital and the visible physical injuries.
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What People Are Saying
“More than just a memoir about adversity and resilience, this story's depth is rooted in moments of unexpected courage, ironic humor, and the mysterious way that beauty and horror are inexplicably intertwined.
It holds lessons about adapting to new circumstances, accepting setbacks, and reinventing identity, as well as glimpses into the inner-workings of the legal and political influences that affect bicycle safety and infrastructure in our communities.
Throughout this unflinching narrative, readers will gain important insights about mental health, trauma, and the complicated relationships we have with our own scars, both visible and hidden.”
— Kimberly Goodell
This is a blazingly honest book by the survivor of an horrendous bicycle accident and her recovery-which, not suprisingly, is both physical AND mental. Once you start it, you can't put it down, even though the story does not make for easy reading.
— Laura Duncan
“DEGLOVED is a riveting memoir that has something to teach each of us when it comes to resiliency, innovation, standing up for change and true love.
Adelaide writes from a place of both honesty and transparency and her scar tells a story that is both seen and unseen.
The glimpses into trauma, trust, healing and transformation will inspire you to stand strong, build resiliency and persevere.”