In November 1998, Jerry Jacobson of Glasgow was diagnosed with Guillain- Barré Syndrome (GBS), a debilitating neurological illness. Within two weeks he was completely paralyzed, trapped in his own body but conscious of what was happening around him. Over the next 15 months, he experienced extreme pain from complications caused by his GBS and several times, due to doctors’ expectations, his family was brought in to say goodbye, as he was not expected to live through the night. It is a truly horrifying story. But it is a story of hope as well.
Against all odds, Jerry pulled through his terrifying ordeal. He came out of paralysis, began talking, and even learned to walk again. Many of his doctors have accurately described his recovery as being a “miraculous” one. Considering that Jerry was expected to be a quadriplegic and hooked to a respirator for life – if he survived at all – it truly is a wonder how he recovered so fully.
My Wake-Up Call is the story of Jerry’s battle with GBS and how his family, his doctors, and his faith helped him pull through. As a former teacher, he explains his disease, symptoms, and medical procedures in a way that makes it easy for the reader to comprehend.
He also offers other points of view, as many chapters are written from the perspectives of doctors and loved ones. In fact, Jerry’s wife, Dora Lou Jacobson, could accurately be described as the book’s co-author.
With so many people involved, it took Jerry and Dora Lou roughly ten years to finish My Wake-Up Call. They have received a lot of positive feedback and have toured many churches with the book, providing testimony of how their faith helped them through the hardest time of their lives. What is particularly impressive is that after all the work they’ve put into the book, Jerry and Dora Lou give many copies of the book away. “We wanted to create something positive and encouraging,” says Jerry Jacobson. “We feel if it would help somebody, we don’t have a problem giving it to them for free.”
For more information on My Wake-Up Call, you can contact Jerry Jacobson at 406-367-5386.