Publication Date: December 12, 2023
Darla Calvet is a thirty-nine-year-old working mom whose life turns upside down when she is diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Suddenly, fear threatens her dreams for the future as doctors’ appointments replace her daily routines and she realizes she may not live to see her daughters grow up. After dying twice while waiting for a new heart, Darla begins to understand her own resiliency—her heart may be weak, but her mind refuses to give up.
My Life in Stitches: A Heart Transplant Survivor Story is a candid, witty account of one woman’s determination to transform a devastating prognosis into an inspiring fight for survival. Darla’s story offers insight into the complex world of medicine with a dose of humor about her challenges and victories as a heart transplant patient. In this sensitive, thorough, and informative debut, Calvet brings compassion and gentle wisdom to a difficult subject in hopes of demystifying the uncertainties that inevitably accompany long-term, life-threatening medical decisions.
Juggling graduate school, a full-time job, and two young children left at home, author Darla A. Calvet has no time for illness. However, her body, notably her heart, had other plans.
She shares her story from heart failure diagnosis to heart transplant recovery in My Life in Stitches. The author’s sense of humor livens the subject matter and emphasizes its place in her recovery journey.
She sprinkles lessons from her experience throughout the book, navigating the options for the best cardiac care and finding the right support team.
The conversational way she recounts her healing journey provides an easy-to-follow story that not only highlights her experience but also provides helpful information for others navigating heart failure.
My Life in Stitches is a beautifully written story of the author’s journey from heart failure to her subsequent transplant.
A heart transplant survivor, Dr. Darla Calvet won a gold medal for ballroom dance in the 2022 Transplant Games of America. Currently, she serves as the vice president of the board of directors for the Southern California Transplant Games of America team. She is also the CEO of Blue Tiger, Inc., a strategic planning consultancy. A doctor of education, Calvet holds degrees from Claremont Graduate University, San Diego State University, and the University of California, Berkeley. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband Pat and their French bulldog Quinn, and she is the proud mom of two adult daughters, Claire and Annie.
December 1 – RABT Book Tours – Kick Off
December 2 – Nana’s Book Reviews- Spotlight
December 3 – Matters That Count – Spotlight
December 4 – The Faerie Review – Spotlight
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December 7 – Momma and Her Stories – Excerpt
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January 1 – RABT Reviews – Wrap Up
