Struggling with Serendipity Memoir, Signed! INCLUDES Shipping!

SKU: 1949351254
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A true story with a message of resilience! Now selling at OUR COST while supply lasts. $10 each (not shipped) per signed book OR just $13.50 INCLUDING tax and same day or next day shipping! Struggling with Serendipity is sold in bookstores for $20. Shipping to USA addresses only.


Important! I'll sign the book to the first name of the person placing an order, UNLESS you leave a message in the box on the checkout screen.


Thank you for helping me share the power of hope and connection!

 ​❤  Cindy 

cindy@strugglingwithserendipity.com


  • Struggling with Serendipity shares a mom's crisis, a daughter's paralysis, and a road of hope—from a small town in Ohio to Harvard and around the world.​ This memoir is 420 pages, 6.7 inches x 9.6 inches, and weighs 1.5 pounds, with photographs, a disability resource guide, and a Foreword by Dr. Ariana Vora, Asst. Professor at Harvard Medical School. More about my book may be found on other pages of this website.

Praise for Struggling with Serendipity

“Everything about this story is beyond belief, and yet it's all true. How could one small mistake result in such calamity? How could a teenager possibly respond with calm confidence when faced with lifelong paralysis? How could any mother ever find the strength to deal with her child's needs and her own pain under these circumstances? Cindy Kolbe and her daughter Beth are made of the same astounding stuff. They do not whine, they do not ask for pity, they do not wait in helpless despair for miracles to happen. Minute by minute, day by day, stroke by stroke, word by word, they do the work before them with courage and determination. They create their own miracles, and this book is one of them. Struggling with Serendipity is a gift to all of us. I recommend it with gratitude and awe.”  
Sandy Asher, Author and Playwright
“Struggling with Serendipity is a fantastic story of achievement and success in the midst of seemingly insurmountable challenges. Cindy and Beth Kolbe detail the incredible life they’ve lived, the sacrifices made along the way, and the joy they’ve shared in Beth’s successes. I’m honored to know Cindy and Beth personally and to have shared in some small part of Beth’s swimming career. I can’t recommend this book enough!”
Julie Dussliere, Chief of Paralympic Sport, United States Olympic Committee
“We can live without many things, but living without hope is damn near impossible. Cindy and Beth’s story reminds us that no matter the circumstances or diagnosis, with hope and love, joy is possible and life is worth living. I am simultaneously challenged and inspired by their shared journey.”
Terry McGuire, Founder of Giving Voice to Depression
“Christopher Reeve once said, ‘A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.’ Cindy’s fierce dedication to her daughter Beth is nothing short of heroic and her story, Struggling with Serendipity, captures the honesty and reality of having a loved one face a possible lifetime of paralysis. There is no greater power than a mother's love for her daughter. It is truly unbreakable. And, it is with love that Cindy and Beth find the joy inside the hardship and seize a new future full of hope and possibilities. Cindy's daily selfless acts, which benefit our entire community, reminds us that it is possible to persist and thrive no matter the circumstances.”  
​Peter Wilderotter, President and CEO of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
“This is a remarkably honest and important book. Cindy Kolbe’s teenage daughter Beth was left with quadriplegia after Cindy fell asleep at the wheel of her car. Cindy doesn’t sugarcoat or maximize her daughter’s struggle with disability or her own battles with guilt and depression. Cindy is not a ‘victim;’ her daughter is not a ‘super-heroine.’ This is an honest and meticulous account of how they both move forward to create successful lives not defined by tragedy or disability. It’s an intimate true story that’s a privilege to read.”
Thea Flaum, President of the Hill Foundation and Founder of Facing Disability
“As a mother, I imagine there's nothing stronger than a mother’s love except, perhaps, a mother’s guilt. In Struggling with Serendipity, Cindy so beautifully illustrates her family's trauma. What I think I love most about her story is that it is, in fact, her story. She did not hijack her daughter Beth’s story but instead, provides the important perspective of a caregiver and how truly intertwined our stories really are. This story is the epitome of transforming pain into passion.”  
Danni Starr, Author of Empathy and Eyebrows: A Survivalist's Stories on Reviving Your Spirit After Soul-Crushing Sh*tstorms
“Struggling with Serendipity shares Cindy's unique experience as a mom after a tragedy. The relationship between Cindy and her daughter Beth is a celebration of motherhood and the healing power of love. Their incredible challenges and adventures inspire readers to be the best they can be. You'll be glad you read this book!”
April Perry, Founder of Power of Moms
“In the wake of any tragedy, it's tempting to ask Why? But Cindy and Beth Kolbe chose instead to ask How? How could they move forward? How could they heal? How could they find meaning and purpose in their agony? With unflinching honesty, Cindy Kolbe offers readers both an intimate look at the answers that she and Beth found AND a universal roadmap for navigating adversity. This is a beautifully written book, and one that the world very much needs right now!”
Jeff Bell, Author ofWhen in Doubt, Make Beliefand Founder of the Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance
“Want a grand perspective on life? Befriend someone with a disability. I’ve learned more about life and what it takes to be successful from Beth Kolbe than she ever learned from me, her swimming coach. Beth’s story is one of tragedy and misfortune, but her potential and upward trajectory never wavered. I found her tenacity, her resourcefulness, and her bond with her family stronger than anyone before. Cindy and Beth took initiative and found solutions for a new way of life. If you want to see what a mother and daughter’s love for life can accomplish, this book is a must read.”
Peggy Ewald, retired Swimming & Diving Head Coach at Ohio Northern University andTeam USA Coach for 2008, 2012, and 2016 Paralympic Games
“Cindy’s story grabs you by the heart and holds on tight. It is a story of grace and forgiveness. Her daughter Beth’s heroic, gentle optimism is a fitting tribute to Cindy and her ability to not only hang on but to steer the course of setting a perfect example for her child—and for all of us. As a mother of a child with a spinal cord injury and an advocate for this community, I can say I am truly honored to know Cindy.  Even as Beth inspires and motivates people living with the injury, Cindy keeps it real for the moms and families learning to live a joyful life beyond our broken hearts.”
Debbie Flynn, Founder of the QUAD Foundation
“Cindy has a remarkable ability to convey the complexity of a spinal cord injury and the ripple effect it has on everyone's lives. It's impossible to know what it's like unless you've been through it, but reading Cindy's honest and authentic account gives a window into what it's like.” 
Brittany Déjean, Founder of AbleThrive 
 “After my son’s spinal cord injury in 2000, (Mount Buller, Australia) in a heartbeat we were catapulted into a world where no hope was given by his medical team for any recovery. With such a dire prognosis, we experimented with various 'eastern' recovery options that saw my son walk, and regain much of his life back. We stayed under the radar until 2011, when we heard about the emerging activity based restorative therapy centers in the USA. 

Moving to the USA from Australia, I established a Facebook support group called Warrior Momz. Essentially 'Warrior Momz' is a group of families either living with or supporting a loved one with spinal cord injury. Our members are advocates for activity based restorative recovery, giving hope and support to families! 

It was through Warrior Momz, I have grown to know Cindy. She is a passionate mother, advocate and talented writer, who is not afraid to tackle the hard topics associated with the injury. Writing like this requires courage and commitment, as you need to be prepared to expose yourself and at times your innermost fears, weaknesses publicly. 

​I had the privilege of meeting Cindy and her daughter Beth in Washington, DC. Beth is a shining example to our community, she has embraced her injury, achieving success in competitive swimming, going on to building a career in the law! Cindy has been an active member of the Warrior Momz community for several years. With less than 10% seeking recovery after suffering a catastrophic spinal cord injury, Struggling with Serendipity will be a valuable resource for our community to learn from. Cindy’s story illustrates the power of a mother's love in the recovery journey, yet also shares a mother’s need to look after herself.” 
Kay Ledson, Author of Warrior Mom