Dear Jeff

Book excerpt: In Dear Jeff: A Mother’s Reflections and Responses Throughout a Family Tragedy, Carmen Westberg shares the heartbreaking story of her son, Jeff, who received a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a farming accident at the age of 14. The story, told through a series of letters she writes to him, begins just before the accident occurs and follows their family’s journey from the ICU forward. As Carmen comes to understand that Jeff’s life has changed forever and learns to navigate both the internal and external challenges that accompany his condition, she shares her reactions and emotions, memories of her upbringing, and the continuing history of her family. She finds a way to communicate with a son whose personality and capabilities have transformed in an instant, providing a window into a grieving mother’s mind and heart. Dear Jeff is not only the story of a family’s perseverance in the face of TBI but also a comfort for anyone facing a similar tragedy—especially mothers. Carmen’s letters show that feeling confused and overwrought in the midst of a painful journey is normal. She offers the perspective and experience that families may need when their worlds are upended by trauma . . . and she reassures them that they are not alone.