Steven Gardner - Jabberwockybook

GUEST WEBSITE: jabberwockybook.com SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram (doctorstevengardner) I’m contacting you with a guest/story idea about a father’s lessons in love from raising a son with severe cerebral palsy. The Big Idea: During his abbreviated 22-year life, Graham Gardner was unable to speak or to walk on his own. Yet he forged meaningful relationships wherever he went. His cerebral palsy forced him to rely on other people — sometimes complete strangers — for absolutely everything. Yet he accepted his reality, lived in the present moment, reveled in relationships, and exuded radiance around him. Graham personified joy and he lived love. The So-What: Grahams’ parents and his community of friends, caregivers, schoolmates, and campmates were transformed by his zest for life, his sense of humor, and his grace under adversity. The simple fact that 750 people packed the church at Graham’s memorial service represents the mark this exceptional 22-year-old made in his short life. His inspirational story serves as a reminder that each of us has the potential to live a purposeful life. In the words of Katie Couric, who was a family friend, “…he was a shining light who reflected all that love he absorbed.” The Source: Graham’s father, Dr. Steven Gardner, is an internist at Massachusetts General Hospital, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and past Medical Director of the Massachusetts Special Olympics. He is a past winner of the Harvard Medical School Humanism in Medicine Award. Steven is a prominent photographer whose images focus on the resilience of people facing adversity and the compassion of caregivers. His work has been exhibited in Boston and Martha’s Vineyard, where he is a volunteer physician at Camp Jabberwocky, the location and inspiration for many of the stories in his book, Jabberwocky: Lessons of Love from a Boy Who Never Spoke (https://www.amazon.com/Jabberwocky-Lesson-Love-Never-Spoke/dp/1641466502/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jabberwocky%3A+Lessons+of+Love+from+a+Boy+Who+Never+Spoke&qid=1616435782&s=books&sr=1-1) (Made for Success Publishing, April 27, 2021). Learn more at Jabberwockybook.com (https://jabberwockybook.com/). Key Messages: Steven Gardner shares the many transformative opportunities and expressions of love that Graham and his parents experienced throughout his short life, including: · How humans have a second, discrete sensory system for feeling and distinguishing emotional touch — meaning love be literally felt · How individuals flourish precisely because they are part of a larger community · How people gravitated toward helping Graham and being in his presence · How participating in high-challenge adaptive sports changes lives · How to live fully regardless of the hand we’re dealt