Fragile: Beauty in Chaos, Grace in Tragedy, and Hope that Lives In Between

Every year, more than 145 million people visit the ER. As the front line for medical crises, emergency departments provide a microscopic view of what happens over the course of our lives, serving as a reminder that we are all frighteningly human.
   
   In "Fragile: Beauty in Chaos, Grace in Tragedy, and Hope that Lives In Between" (Gyrfalcon Press, May 12, 2020), Shannon Sovndal, MD, a board-certified doctor in both emergency medicine and emergency medical services (EMS) pulls back the curtain on the ER. Combining his clinical experience in hospitals and medical helicopters with gripping anecdotes of patients who lost their lives, Dr. Sovndal sheds light on the harsh reality of being a compassionate human and what we can gain from his insights on living life for today.
   
   “It’s not like it is on TV, watching someone die. Grey’s Anatomy makes it all seem so cool and dramatic. Music playing in the background, pained facial expressions on good-looking actors”, says Dr. Sovndal. “But when a patient really dies, when my patient dies, it isn’t such great drama. It bites away a piece of my soul. Like a service charge for the job.”
   
   At turns heartbreaking and heartwarming, serious and funny, Dr. Sovndal uses personal narrative and real-life stories to underscore that life is fragile, and how accepting that hard truth opens us up to appreciate our most precious moments—the ones filled with connection, hope, and love.
   
   “This book is heavy, but I want you to leave with something more than just a feeling of death and dying or lack of control,” Dr. Sovndal explains. “I want you to feel things about your own life. Worrying is a straight-up waste of time. Life is beyond control. Life is fragile. And because it is fragile it is unbelievably good.”
   
   Fragile is a riveting and significant memoir which helps readers discover:
   
   • The emotional and psychological struggles of doctors and care providers, and the intense challenges that come with a career in the ER
   • Traumatized by practice: PTSD in first-responders and medical providers
   • Appreciate the small stuff: Why it’s essential for all of us to slow down and open our eyes to everything that life has to offer
   • Connecting with those around you: Stop asking about “why” everything happens and start focusing on the “who”
   • What Dr. Sovndal learned from real-life personal tragedies in the ER
   

https://drsovndal.com/