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This intimate narrative of a father journeying with his son from their hometown of Wylie, Texas, to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, captures the day-to-day life of twelve-year-old Coby as he awaits and finally receives a double-lung transplant—the only hope for extending his life as a cystic fibrosis patient. The book's entirety comprises daily journals Gent kept at the time, covering just over 200 days, beginning in February 1992. Throughout, the reader meets a team of caring, dedicated doctors, nurses, and specialists touched by young Coby and his positive, thoughtful, charming personality. Gent's deep love and unyielding admiration for his son, who is quite literally fighting to stay alive, is evidenced on every page. Wife Tricia and Casey, Coby's sister, also feature prominently in this story of deeply held faith and the miracle of modern medicine. Hospital professionals and other patients are all touched profoundly by young Coby, his wonderful sense of humor, and amazingly optimistic personality.
Gent writes he had "not looked at these journals in over twenty-nine years" and wasn't sure why he wrote them to begin with. "But I know now that God had a hand in it," he says. One is nearly overcome with tears, reading Gent's reflection that "through it all, Coby kept his faith, a great attitude, and no matter how sick he felt, he made sure other folks were happy and felt special." Coby, he says, "fought the good fight," focusing on what truly matters during his twenty-nine years on earth. That Gent decided to revisit and then publish in book form these journals is a fortunate choice for readers. Not only does the work honor his incredible son's memory, but it also encapsulates their journey together through thick and thin, good days and bad, with love and faith always prevailing.