With Angel's Wings Paperback – April 6, 2016

With Angel's Wings is beautifully written by Stephanie A. Collins about her struggles with two special needs children. As the mother of a special needs child, I read the book in short spurts because she transported me back in time to the frustrations of dealing with the medical community, the astronomical medical bills, an angry husband who is fed up with all the problems, and the struggle to find hope in a hopeless situation.Like Stephanie, I watched in horror as multiple needle pricks tried to find veins far too delicate to pierce. I felt her pain as she watched the efforts to save a child by inflicting even more pain and suffering. There are no words to describe the fury I felt when a nurse plunged the needle into my infant nearly 15 times before extracting the precious blood for testing, only to turn around and have the vial slip off her tablet and shatter on the floor. This is the heartbreak of standing by helplessly hoping for a solution to medical problems far beyond anything the average parent can visualize.This is also a love story. Stephanie found a partner, lover, and friend who supported her efforts to protect and raise both children with love and compassion.The lack of sleep when caring for a special needs child has devastating consequences for the parent who sleeps for only minutes at a time but still has to find the energy to not only care for the children, but earn the money to put food on the table. On the days when there just isn't enough, the mother feeds her child rather than herself.Stephanie's story of love will make you take a new look at your own child and praise God for all the blessings in your life. If you haven't experienced it, you cannot begin to imagine the terror of walking into that ER with a limp child in your arms with eyes open and rolled back. You want to scream but find you can barely whisper your frantic prayer for help. I strongly recommend this book to everyone. You will never know the true blessings of your own life until you explore the challenges others have faced in life.

This book is extremely well written. It has every element that makes a great novel. It makes the reader keep turning the pages and the emotions are described in such vivid detail that they can best be described as raw. I had to put the book down at times because it was so real. I especially ached for Hannah, her baby girl.Laura’s children were born with genetic illnesses. The author described what happened in graphic, heartbreaking detail. The reader is left crying, angry, and sad. What more could one want from a book, except I sometimes felt like it was at the expense of the author and her family.I am an editor as well as writer, and I honestly have not read any book as well written and edited as this one. In telling what is actually her own story in fictional, third party, the author doesn’t seem to hold back anything. That is one thing that made the book so remarkable.I didn’t necessarily agree with every decision that Laura made, but that was okay. She is painted as flawed, hurt, and depressed. I look forward to any book written by Ms. Collins. She is an enormously gifted writer.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I began reading this book, but I didn't think it would be a page turner. However, once I started, I was invested in the roller coaster ride with this family. My heart hurt for "Laura", but even more so for "Emily" & "Hannah". I can't imagine the strength it took to get through the years of crisis & pain dealing with poor Hannah's health. I found the book to be well written and I was never bored or uninterested, finishing the book in just days.

"With Angel’s Wings" is a beautiful memoir that is written like fiction, but it isn't. Laura marries her high school sweet heart and realizes her mistake, but tries to make it work. They soon add two little girls to this family. I love Laura’s honesty and her devotion to her children, who both end up having special needs. That would be a story within itself, but it wasn’t that simple. After her second child was born, she faced challenges that no mother should--with no emotional support from her husband. Through all the stays at the hospital, surgeries and ER visits she finds support in a new place, that included unconditional love. I found myself feeling every emotion with Laura as I read: anxiety, fear, worry, concern, frustration, strength, joy, and love. I stayed up late into the night reading, because I couldn’t put "With Angel’s Wings" down. I was emotionally invested in the story of Laura and her family. I highly recommend this amazing yet, painfully honest memoir.

I so felt Laura's pain and her struggle as she grapples with dealing with a very sick baby. Having a another child at home and the conflict felt as she is torn between the two. The anguish dealing with an unsupportive husband and a family that didn't seem to understand the stress that Laura was under. The book is raw, and honest with all of Laura's feelings laid bare. The story mainly told of poor little Hannah and what she went through. The pain of this little baby and the never ending treatments, procedures, operations that seemed to not resolve or give her any respite. The ongoing seizures that left you wondering whether her little body would survive. I did find that it did go on forever which I am sure it did, but for the reader it was a very intense read. I am sure for other parents that have to cope with similar circumstances it would be comforting to know they are not alone. At a point when Laura seemed like she was unable to go on, love comes from an unexpected person. Another conflict to deal with as the person is her step brother. True love never runs smooth as the relationship goes through some twists and turns. A heartfelt read with raw human emotion.1 like ·

I don't usually do book reviews - because I often feel that Authors write for different reasons and sometimes we don't relate to those reasons.Still, I bought the book and sat down reading. I made sure not to read any of the reviews before either - going into the book with an open mind. Going into the book, I felt it was a bit slow: I am hyper by nature, but soon realised Stephanie was leading you, patiently, down the rabbit hole - so not as to frighten you, but make you aware of the facts.I settled in after that and loved the read, and I suppose because I could relate on so many levels [all of them personal] - I love the message I received from this writing:"It will be alright."I really loved the book, and while it is not my usual genre, or reading style - I'd say if you ever needed a good measure of hope and romance while going through a hectic time? This is the book for you.The writing itself is crisp and clear, and while medical information is given it is not overwhelmingly boring.I felt the book ended a bit abruptly, but that is merely a personal greed, not a reflection on Staphanie's writing.All in all, thank you Stephanie, you have really done a great job and brought a brilliant message to my mind today.AdriRead it.

"With Angels Wings" is both compulsive and heartbreaking reading. The author's oldest child Hannah is born with a rare genetic condition that includes a myriad of symptoms. Sadly, her parents marriage is not mutually supportive and the struggles to provide and care for their daughter and her little sister are monumental.Thankfully, the author confides in her step brother Daniel , and their love grows "against all odds" as the story unfolds.The daily stresses of caring for a very sick child are shared in great detail. It is a very poignant story but it highlights the healing power of love and resilience.

This was by no means an easy read and I had a hard time coming to grips with the initial chapters of this incredible story, because it contains quite in-depth descriptions of the author's little girl's health problems, but I'm glad that I persevered. I found Laura's story uplifting and satisfying. The author writes with refreshing candour about her feelings of resentment for her first husband as his lack of interest, firstly to help his wife with the care of a small, critically ill, suffering child grows more intense as the years go by and secondly, his complete want to understand or accept his eldest daughter's autism. How she deals with all the ups and downs of caring for two special needs children and finally getting a Nurses' Degree is nothing short of miraculous. She and her two special children find true love - proof that loyal, enduring love is still around. You just need to look for it in the right people. This is a highly recommended read if you enjoy true-life stories.

I loved this book! I found the fact that it was told as a novel in the third person interesting. Though the one thing that comes across is her love for her girls!

A great read, fantastic book