By 1993, God had blessed Nancy Ferrin with six precious children.  One was taken home to heaven soon after birth, but the others were her treasures here on earth.  The early years were uneventful and filled with activities, family fun, and spiritual training.  However, the teen years led one son on an unexpected, destructive path.  Heartbreak grew when a few years later, her only daughter followed in her brother’s footsteps.  During those agonizing years, God’s peace sustained Nancy as she turned to Him repeatedly for understanding and strength.  Because there are countless other parents dealing with similar struggles, this book is intended to help with the confusion and uncertainty of the prodigal years.

By 1993, God had blessed Nancy Ferrin with six precious children.  One was taken home to heaven soon after birth, but the others were her treasures here on earth.  The early years were uneventful and filled with activities, family fun, and spiritual training.  However, the teen years led one son on an unexpected, destructive path.  Heartbreak grew when a few years later, her only daughter followed in her brother’s footsteps.  During those agonizing years, God’s peace sustained Nancy as she turned to Him repeatedly for understanding and strength.  Because there are countless other parents dealing with similar struggles, this book is intended to help with the confusion and uncertainty of the prodigal years.

By 1993, God had blessed Nancy Ferrin with six precious children.  One was taken home to heaven soon after birth, but the others were her treasures here on earth.  The early years were uneventful and filled with activities, family fun, and spiritual training.  However, the teen years led one son on an unexpected, destructive path.  Heartbreak grew when a few years later, her only daughter followed in her brother’s footsteps.  During those agonizing years, God’s peace sustained Nancy as she turned to Him repeatedly for understanding and strength.  Because there are countless other parents dealing with similar struggles, this book is intended to help with the confusion and uncertainty of the prodigal years.

“Ten weeks after going through thirty-six rounds of radiation and four rounds of intensive, chemotherapy treatments, our author Susan Long Dineen’s eighteen-year-old son left for college. Having been with him during ninety-six doctor’s appointments and brief hospitalization stays, she questioned whether his immune system could withstand the rigors of college life.

 

Kevin headed for an environment with carefree college students who were in much different places. Susan was not the least bit prepared for what unfolded after he departed for college. The story documents her personal journey and seeks to encourage others who may face a similar challenge as a parent of a teenager living through a traumatic experience like cancer. In addition to Susan’s story, Kevin shares his thoughts that provide insights from the mind of a teenager facing his greatest life challenge.

 

“Cancer never affects just the individual with the diagnosis. It also involves family and friends. This true life story of a young man’s struggle to survive is told from his Mom’s perspective. Susan draws us in to share the anguish of patient and family, as well as healing on many levels.”

 

—Dr. Louis Schroder, MD; Kevin’s oncologist

 

“Parents of adolescent, teenage, and young-adult children, dealing with cancer issues, will have more perspective after reading Finding a Way Out. Susan’s experiences with her son helped us with our son’s own cancer journey.”

 

—Bill and Gindy Schneller

“Ten weeks after going through thirty-six rounds of radiation and four rounds of intensive, chemotherapy treatments, our author Susan Long Dineen’s eighteen-year-old son left for college. Having been with him during ninety-six doctor’s appointments and brief hospitalization stays, she questioned whether his immune system could withstand the rigors of college life.

 

Kevin headed for an environment with carefree college students who were in much different places. Susan was not the least bit prepared for what unfolded after he departed for college. The story documents her personal journey and seeks to encourage others who may face a similar challenge as a parent of a teenager living through a traumatic experience like cancer. In addition to Susan’s story, Kevin shares his thoughts that provide insights from the mind of a teenager facing his greatest life challenge.

 

“Cancer never affects just the individual with the diagnosis. It also involves family and friends. This true life story of a young man’s struggle to survive is told from his Mom’s perspective. Susan draws us in to share the anguish of patient and family, as well as healing on many levels.”

 

—Dr. Louis Schroder, MD; Kevin’s oncologist

 

“Parents of adolescent, teenage, and young-adult children, dealing with cancer issues, will have more perspective after reading Finding a Way Out. Susan’s experiences with her son helped us with our son’s own cancer journey.”

 

—Bill and Gindy Schneller

When fifteen-year old Celeste Zather catches the eyes of Preston Carnegie, she never expects him to relentlessly pursue her. At eighteen, Preston knows well what he wants and how to get it. Celeste is no exception. A carefree and innocent girl, Celeste is introduced to a world of parties, alcohol, and sex, the world that Preston is accustomed to. Pregnancy compels them to marry, but love holds them together. Preston becomes a preacher. As their family continues to grow in the admonition of faith in God, the enemy is in hot pursuit of destruction and death. After winning a prize for family of the year, the enemy distracts them. They divorce. The siblings deal with the troubles differently; some move on, and some go astray. Despite the enemy, the Carnegies have one thing in common—their faith in God.

When fifteen-year old Celeste Zather catches the eyes of Preston Carnegie, she never expects him to relentlessly pursue her. At eighteen, Preston knows well what he wants and how to get it. Celeste is no exception. A carefree and innocent girl, Celeste is introduced to a world of parties, alcohol, and sex, the world that Preston is accustomed to. Pregnancy compels them to marry, but love holds them together. Preston becomes a preacher. As their family continues to grow in the admonition of faith in God, the enemy is in hot pursuit of destruction and death. After winning a prize for family of the year, the enemy distracts them. They divorce. The siblings deal with the troubles differently; some move on, and some go astray. Despite the enemy, the Carnegies have one thing in common—their faith in God.

When fifteen-year old Celeste Zather catches the eyes of Preston Carnegie, she never expects him to relentlessly pursue her. At eighteen, Preston knows well what he wants and how to get it. Celeste is no exception. A carefree and innocent girl, Celeste is introduced to a world of parties, alcohol, and sex, the world that Preston is accustomed to. Pregnancy compels them to marry, but love holds them together. Preston becomes a preacher. As their family continues to grow in the admonition of faith in God, the enemy is in hot pursuit of destruction and death. After winning a prize for family of the year, the enemy distracts them. They divorce. The siblings deal with the troubles differently; some move on, and some go astray. Despite the enemy, the Carnegies have one thing in common—their faith in God.

David and the Old Man is a true life story about a father and his oldest son. The father a rugged, independent, stubborn and selfserving man who grew up on a farm where growing food became the only way to survive. He carries this farm mentality into his own family situation and has an enormous garden which primarily provides for his wife and four children. He grows and stores enough food for his family, all the neighbors and friends. Beyond his own belief, the Old Man's first son is not the rugged individualist he pictured his first son to be. David, as a youth, appears to have all the normal tendecies of any other kid, but does not fully develop physically and has a dislike of certain foods. The psychological battle between father and son is further nututred by the Old Man's dislike for David's passive and unfatherlike personality. David develops anorexia nervosa patterns in the earl 1960's and becomes a full blown anorexic case by his late teens. What is unusual about this-- David is a male ,completely rare for this disease and exceptionally rare for tha time period in which it occrred. The family battles the Old Man's will and lives with a son or brother who displays no regard for himself or those close to him.

David and the Old Man is a true life story about a father and his oldest son. The father a rugged, independent, stubborn and selfserving man who grew up on a farm where growing food became the only way to survive. He carries this farm mentality into his own family situation and has an enormous garden which primarily provides for his wife and four children. He grows and stores enough food for his family, all the neighbors and friends. Beyond his own belief, the Old Man's first son is not the rugged individualist he pictured his first son to be. David, as a youth, appears to have all the normal tendecies of any other kid, but does not fully develop physically and has a dislike of certain foods. The psychological battle between father and son is further nututred by the Old Man's dislike for David's passive and unfatherlike personality. David develops anorexia nervosa patterns in the earl 1960's and becomes a full blown anorexic case by his late teens. What is unusual about this-- David is a male ,completely rare for this disease and exceptionally rare for tha time period in which it occrred. The family battles the Old Man's will and lives with a son or brother who displays no regard for himself or those close to him.

David and the Old Man is a true life story about a father and his oldest son. The father a rugged, independent, stubborn and selfserving man who grew up on a farm where growing food became the only way to survive. He carries this farm mentality into his own family situation and has an enormous garden which primarily provides for his wife and four children. He grows and stores enough food for his family, all the neighbors and friends. Beyond his own belief, the Old Man's first son is not the rugged individualist he pictured his first son to be. David, as a youth, appears to have all the normal tendecies of any other kid, but does not fully develop physically and has a dislike of certain foods. The psychological battle between father and son is further nututred by the Old Man's dislike for David's passive and unfatherlike personality. David develops anorexia nervosa patterns in the earl 1960's and becomes a full blown anorexic case by his late teens. What is unusual about this-- David is a male ,completely rare for this disease and exceptionally rare for tha time period in which it occrred. The family battles the Old Man's will and lives with a son or brother who displays no regard for himself or those close to him.