Mother, Wife, Heroine: The Biography of a Woman Who Could Not Eat

June 16, 2010 - PRLog -- Toronto author Shireen Jeejeebhoy has published the award-winning “Lifeliner: The Judy Taylor Story” in multi-format eBook through Smashwords, just in time for inspirational summer reading.

“Lifeliner” tells the poignant story of a woman who made medical history. After a series of blood clots annihilated the intestines of Judy Taylor, a young mother and wife, a remarkable series of events resulted in her becoming the first person to live at home on intravenous feeding – without eating any food whatsoever. Despite it being dangerous for her to swallow even so much as a crumb, she went on – for two decades – to cook for her family and friends and to encourage fellow “lifeliners” from Canada, to the US to Europe, and beyond, to live a good life on TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition).

Her tenacity to live, in partnership with the ingenuity of physician/researcher Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy, resulted in the creation of Home TPN, an artificial feeding technique that keeps thousands of people alive today.

Because proper nutrition for the seriously ill is a continuing concern, the book has global interest. More than 45,000 patients in the US use TPN annually, and the technique is used in Europe to treat cancer patients. American studies show that cancer is the largest growing component of existing Home TPN programs, comprising up to 40 per cent of new admissions per year. Many patients with cancer and AIDS ultimately die of malnutrition, yet good nutrition leads to more effective medication therapy.

Taylor’s doctor was the author’s father; Shireen met Judy while a young girl and was inspired to share her story to offer hope to all those going through crises of their own.

“When they sent her home on TPN, no one knew how long she would live or what her quality of life would be like,” Shireen says. “As far as Judy was concerned, life itself was good enough and she had no intention of lying on the couch all day. She had been given a second chance, and she was running with it.”

Besides its medical story, “Lifeliner” is also winning accolades for its moving story telling. Says Ernest Dempsey, reviewer and author: “Shireen’s pen has all the force of a great storyteller and the artistic skills of reviving a past scene in its most original form. She shows us the situation, taking us to the time and place of the event without throwing in a single unnecessary word.”

The book has scooped awards in the US for Editor’s Choice and Publisher’s Choice and won Best Biography in the Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award. And today it is published in multi-format eBook to reach more readers than ever before.

“Lifeliner,” a book written for the general public, is now available at Smashwords.com, soon to come at kobo, Barnes & Noble, and iBookstore. Besides detailing the evolution of TPN, it is gripping readers everywhere with its fascinating story of a brave woman who rose above a terrifying medical crisis and thrived.

Read more and watch a book trailer at http://jeejeebhoy.ca/lifeliner. Photos and video at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pario/sets/72157615087640522/.

About the Author

Born in London, England, Shireen Jeejeebhoy resides in Toronto, Canada. She holds a B.Sc. in psychology from the University of Toronto. Read more about this accomplished writer at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ShireenJeejeebhoy.

About Smashwords

Launched in 2008, Smashwords is an eBook publishing and distribution platform serving authors, publishers, readers, and retailers. Smashwords makes it free and easy for any author or publisher, anywhere in the world, to instantly publish and distribute a multi-format eBook. Smashwords puts authors and publishers in full control over the pricing, sampling, and distribution of their works. Authors and publishers receive up to 85 percent of the net proceeds from sales of their works. Smashwords has distribution relationships with leading online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Sony and with leading mobile e-reading apps such as Stanza, Kobo, Aldiko, FBReader, and Word-Player, spanning all major mobile platforms including Android and iPhone. Smashwords is based in Los Gatos, California and can be reached on the web at http://www.smashwords.com/. Visit the official Smashwords blog at http://blog.smashwords.com/.

Lifeliner: The Judy Taylor Story
by Shireen Jeejeebhoy
Smashwords Edition
May 2010 / 186 pages
ISBN: 978-1-4523-2324-4 Open Ebook US$4.99
http://jeejeebhoy.ca