Hannah Jones

Kirsty Jones

'If I could have any wish it wouldn't be a year in Disneyland or a part in High School Musical. What I'd like is to live just one day without having to stop and rest when my heart gets tired: I'd just waste my energy, doing stuff with friends. But I can't and feeling unhappy about it is a waste of time. Being happy gives me far more energy - so much so that sometimes I want to do a cartwheel even though I can't actually manage it. So that's how I try to feel each day: my decision wasn't about dying. It's about living.' Hannah Jones was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was just four years old. As young as she was, she overcame the disease but only to face yet another trauma: the drugs given to treat her cancer caused a rare side effect damaging her heart. Continually in and out of hospital, doctors thought Hannah's body might accommodate the heart defect as she grew stronger. But when Hannah was twelve years old she went into sudden heart failure and, as her life hung in the balance, medics said she needed a transplant to save it. Hannah's parents knew just one thing: Hannah deserved to decide her own destiny. Doctors told Hannah that while a successful heart transplant could prolong her life, the operation was also very risky and the anti-rejection drugs could also cause the leukaemia to return. Wise beyond her years after learning to cope with so much ill health, Hannah made her choice: she did not want the transplant. She'd had enough of hospitals and wanted to be at home with her family. Now Kirsty and Hannah tell their unique story and, with wit and honesty, their interweaving voices movingly describe their experiences over the past decade and how contemplating death has taught them so much about living. But perhaps most importantly, both mother and child explain how their mutual strength and courage have inspired them to live life in a different way. Hannah's Choice is an emotional, funny and spirited story about beating the odds and finding joy in each day.

Kirsty Jones

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