I am going to preface this with the fact that I am a big fan of romantic comedies. So, when I saw the option to write a Neuro Note on the book, and now movie, Me Before You I jumped on it.
The author, Jojo Moyes, created a great conversation starter. It also shows a glimpse into how a severe medical illness can alter a person, as well as their families, lives. The main character, Will Traynor, becomes quadriplegic after being hit by a motorcycle. Prior to his accident, he was very active in extreme sports and was a successful businessman. His family hires a caretaker, Lou Clark, to watch over him and to make sure he does not harm himself. Will had wanted to go through with assistive suicide to end his life. Lou spent time exposing him to all of the things he could still enjoy while being in a wheelchair. Lou and Will ended up falling in love, however, this was still not enough. Will ended his life through assistive suicide.
This movie allowed me to see the benefits an occupational therapist could have on someone suffering like Will. In this situation, an OT could have shown Will all of the adaptive opportunities for him to still be able to participate in extreme sports. An OT could have assisted him in the discovery of new ways to partake in his hobbies. The family also could have benefited from assistance as they went through this process with their son.
Moyes, J. (2012). Me before you. New York: Pamela Dorman Books.
No comments:
Post a Comment