MANA'S SHORT STORY SERIES LIST ON SIDE COLUMN

Author Describes How Her Life Changed in "One Split Second"


One split second can change your life forever. Author Suzan Bryan Hoppe knew this all too well. As a wife, mother, insurance agent, and an active member of her church, Suzan's life was anything but boring. 
All was going well until one day, every parents' nightmare occurred: Her son, Danny, was involved in a serious accident that left him with a closed-head injury. Suzan described the tragedy in her non-fiction book, One Split Second. She and her husband, Doug, experienced the stages that families must go through in order to help their child heal. 
If that weren't enough, Suzan supported her husband, Doug, as he encountered lung problems, back surgery and open heart surgery. All the while, Suzan kept up her pace of helping family members, volunteering, attending head injury meetings, and working. 
At one point, she was preparing for a business trip to Indiana and was looking forward to relaxing and being with her friends. Before traveling to Indiana, she attended a trustee meeting at her church one evening. It was there that her head began to ache. Her headache continued when she got home. Suzan described that evening: