03/15/2002

Accidental Courage, Boundless Dreams
Spotlight on authors

by Beth Bruno

"Burying a child is so unnatural, it is unthinkable... days were difficult, nights were worse and mornings only brought more days."

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Accidental Courage, Boundless Dreams by Amy Jaffe Barzach and Sandy Tovray Greenbergis the extraordinary true story of one family who suffered the "unthinkable" yet triumphed over tragedy. When nine-month-old Jonathan Barzach died from spinal muscular atrophy, his family struggled with unbearable pain.

As they searched for ways to heal and for ways to celebrate his life, they remembered seeing a little girl in a wheelchair at a local playground sadly watching the other children play. With an inner strength they never knew they had, and haunted by the sorrow in that little girl's eyes, the Barzach family led a community-wide effort to develop Jonathan's Dream. This special playground where children of all abilities laugh, play and grow together was built with the help of more than 1,000 volunteers. Its impact led a passionate group of parents and professionals to establish Boundless Playgrounds, the first national non-profit organization dedicated to making fully integrated, universally accessible playgrounds a reality for children everywhere.

This movement has been compared to the original vision of the Special Olympics—an idea whose time has come. In Accidental Courage, Boundless Dreams, Barzach and Greenberg have given the reader a compelling and tender story as they weave this extraordinary tale. This is a must-read book that will take you on a journey of tears, laughter and the realization that life must be celebrated each day.

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Excerpt from the book Accidental Courage, Boundless Dreams:

"We do not always know where our compassion stems from, the childhood roots that motivate us to action as adults, or what makes those roots grow. Perhaps it was the year I spent in a back brace (from scoliosis), perhaps not. But the lesson I learned—and continue to teach—was not to run away from special needs but to embrace them. I was fortunate that my life was altered for only one year (wearing the brace). I was left with a lifetime to be me on the inside and outside.

"Children with disabilities often look different on the outside... People often see the disability before they see the child, or sometimes it is all they see. Hopefully, when observers see children playing at any of the Boundless Playgrounds projects, they won't notice the wheelchairs or other disabilities and will only see children happily playing."

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Accidental Courage, Boundless Dreams is available at all bookstores, online and specifically at www.aurorapublishing.com. For speaking engagements call 1-866-287-6724 or email stg@aurorapublishing.com.

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Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.