Book description
On 1 May 2000 Hasso von Bredow's life was forever changed. The young
and active father of three suffered a massive stroke at the base of his
brainstem, leaving him totally paralysed and unable to speak. With his
mind as cognitive and as active as it had always been, his body became
his painful prison. IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE is Hasso's moving and
life-affirming memoir. At 42 Hasso had to come to terms with a life
'locked in', being dependent on others for every breath, but worst of
all, losing his most precious of possessions: his voice. The only way
Hasso could communicate with the world was by blinking his eyes. And
using coded blinking and state of the art technology, he wrote this
incredibly moving memoir letter by letter, helped only by his wife and
carer, Catherine. Far from being a self-pitying and depressing read, IN
THE BLINK OF AN EYE is a small miracle. It opens a world of human
imagination, courage and most importantly, love. Hasso's voice sings
from every letter, word and page, and leaves the reader profoundly
altered and uplifted. It is a book that resets our internal compass and
once read will never be forgotten. Hasso von Bredow was a successful
businessman and father of three. At the age of 42 he suffered a massive
stroke at the base of his brainstem, leaving him the victim of 'Locked
In' Syndrome. Totally paralysed but complete cognisant, Hasso used coded
blinking and state of the art technology to painstakingly write this
incredibly moving memoir letter by letter, helped only by his wife and
carer, Catherine von Bredow. Tragically, Hasso died of pneumonia in
2003. He is survived by his three children and Catherine, who continue
to live in the family home in Kent.
