From Publishers Weekly
The victim of a horrendous car accident, the now 26-year-old Joel Sonnenberg always wanted to be a musician, but without hands, or even lips, what could he possibly play? Sonnenberg eventually realized his instrument was his voice. On September 15, 1979, en route to Maine, the Sonnenbergs' family car was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler. When a rescuer pulled the 22-month-old Sonnenberg from the wreckage, burns covered 85% of his smoldering body. With little hope, emergency workers transported Sonnenberg to the Shriners Burn Institute in Boston where he quickly lost his fingers, toes, lips, ears and nose. However tragic his story, Sonnenberg's recounting of his young life resounds in hope as he takes every opportunity to speak about how God has given him the courage to succeed. He is an enthusiastic storyteller, wanting to communicate not only his sorrows, but also his achievements, which are considerable. Sonnenberg credits his own optimism and his family's strong support with helping him earn his Eagle Scout award, serve as his high school's student body president, get elected Citizen of the Year for western South Carolina and carry the Olympic torch. A graduate of Taylor University, Sonnenberg continues to use his voice, and his experiences, to speak regularly across the country of his remarkable life and unshakable faith. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description
An inspiring story of tremendous tragedy and grief followed by the immense faith, hope and love of the Sonnenberg family. Its message is that no matter how tragic the circumstances in life, they can be overcome with a positive attitude and knowledge that God has a purpose for your life. With Gods love and strong support from family and friends, people can survive, even thrive, through lifes difficulties.

From the Back Cover
Joel Sonnenberg was only two years old when an 18-wheeler smashed into his family’s car. In the inferno that followed, he was burned on over 85 percent of his body. This is his story as only he can tell it. Experience the world from Joel’s perspective as he takes you on a personal journey with more twists and turns than a Hollywood movie. It’s been a life of both great struggles and of tremendous achievement and honor. Yet Joel asserts, "I am just an ordinary person whom people find extraordinary." Be prepared to fall in love with a young man named Joel. We have known Joel since he first moved to Montreat, North Carolina, eighteen years ago. What an incredible boy he was; what an incredible man he has become. His testimony will stir your heart and forever change you. Ruth and Billy Graham Joel is a dear friend. His story is truly remarkable. I encourage everyone to read it. It is truly inspiring! Coach Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Duke University Basketball Joel is an American hero. True courage is demonstrated in every page. Bob Dole, Former United States Senator, Kansas The dictionary doesn’t have enough adjectives to describe my love and admiration for Joel Sonnenberg. To spend time with Joel—whether in his book, at a soccer game, or over a soda—is to come away a different person simply because you’ve been with him. Joni Eareckson Tada, Founder and CEO of Joni and Friends Joel Sonnenberg’s story is more than just an uplifting tale of persistence and achievement. Rooted in tragedy, it’s the story of a mother’s love, a boy’s courage, and the resilience of the human spirit. Bryant Gumbel, Television News Journalist His story is one all young people need to hear . . . optimistic, confident, and filled with faith. Dr. Jay Kesler, President Emeritus, Taylor University

About the Author
Joel Sonnenberg has learned more crucial life lessons, faced more challenges, overcome more hardships, developed a deeper faith, and influenced more individuals than most people do in a lifetime. He is a national speaker and has made guest appearances on television since the age of five. Joel has earned numerous honors, including personal commendations from governors and the president of the United States. Joel is a graduate of Columbia International Seminary in South Carolina.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Joel Copyright © 2004 by Joel Sonnenberg
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sonnenberg, Joel. Joel / Joel Sonnenberg, with Gregg Lewis. p. cm. ISBN 0-310-24693-8 1. Sonnenberg, Joel. 2. Burns and scaldsPatientsUnited StatesBiography. 3. People with disabilitiesUnited StatesBiography. I. Lewis, Gregg, 1951- II. Title. RD96.4.S553 2004 362.197'11'092dc22 2004003206
This edition printed on acid-free paper.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Published in association with Yates & Yates, LLP, Attorneys and Counselors, Suite 1000, Literary Agent, Orange, CA.
Interior design by Beth Shagene
Printed in the United States of America
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C h a p t e r 1
What happened to you? Thats the first thought that pops into our minds when we see a person with a cast. If we dont ask it, we at least think it. I feel like Ive lived my whole life wearing a huge, permanent cast with a lot of names written all over it. Everyone who meets me, everyone who sees me, wonders, What happened to you?
Rarely a day goes by that I dont hear this question. Some days many times.
Those people who dont come right out and ask still wonder. I can see the question in their eyes and in their reactionstheir awkwardness, their silence, their double takes, and their stares. If people dont wonder about me and my story when they meet me, I worry about them. While I try not to take offense if they look at me strange, I definitely look at them strange if they dont.
I can never hide the fact that Im different. So my response to their What happened? question is very often my introduction to people. Ive learned that this can be good, or it can be baddepending on how the story is told. Which is why I began speaking to groups.
Some people act surprised that Im not too nervous to get up in front of large crowds. In part its because I know that when I walk into any public situation whether its a roomful of twenty partygoers, an auditorium with five thousand people, or a prime-time television show that has millions of viewerseveryone is going to be looking at me anyway. Its only when Im given the chance to step in front of a microphone or stand up on a stage and share my experience that I have any control over how people look at me or what they think about me. So I actually feel more comfortable in a public-speaking setting where Im given an opportunity to present myself. Its usually my best chancesometimes my only chanceto ease the awkwardness, to help people see past the surface so they can understand, or at least accept, me for who I am.
I was not gifted with an incredible athletic talent like Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. Im not a musical prodigy who mastered an instrument by the age of six. Nor am I an intellectual genius who learned calculus by kindergarten or graduated from medical school by the age of sixteen. I certainly dont have the imagination or creativity of people like Bill Gates or George Lucas.
There is nothing superhuman about me. Im just an ordinary personwith an unusual story that in one way or another seems to have an impact on every interaction in my life. Depending on how I choose to respond, this impact can be either positive or negative.
Some mornings Id much rather sleep in than get up and face the battle of another day. Sometimes I tire of watching and envying people around me who are going through their comfortable daily routine, because what happened to me has determined that my daily life is anything but routine. I have been forced to cope by expecting the unexpected for so long that dealing with surprise has become commonplace for me. I live every day of my life outside the box, consciously trying to change the paradigm, in every interaction with others, to prove that things are not always what they seem. Others preconceived ideas and false expectations are my constant battleground.
There are occasions when what happened to me becomes a barrier that separates me from other people. But there are also occasions when it has a positive impact on my relationships.
Because many people initially react to me with uncertainty and awkwardness, Im often forced to tell enough of my story to answer unspoken questions and put people at ease. Ive also learned to take the initiative in friendship and to be the first one to speak whenever I meet someone new. In this way I am forced to become more outgoing with others.
Knowing what happened often gives other people an unusual sense of intimacy with me. It makes me seem more transparent and therefore more approachable in many peoples minds. Im constantly humbled by how open and trusting, even vulnerable, many people are when they talk to me. So many hurting people seem to identify with me because of what happened.
We all know that our words, our attitudes, and our actions influence others. But Im regularly reminded of this when someone comes up to me and says some- thing like, Joel, Ive never forgotten what you told me that time we were having lunch together at McDonalds. It made such an impact on me. And Ill have no recollection of what theyre talking about. For them it was some life-impacting conversation; I was just eating a hamburger.
Stuff like that happens to me all the time. When it does, Im reminded that what happened to me years ago makes me an example to others.
Not only am I forced to tell my story every day, but any person who has a relationship with me may be forced to tell it as well. Why? Because other people ask them, What happened to Joel? As a result, in some peculiar way, my story becomes the story of those around me. Which means its been told a lot. At least in part.
Ive watched portions of my life reenacted on television. Ive read other parts in newspapers and magazines. Ive shared bits and pieces of my personal history with many acquaintances over the years. Ive sat in front of TV cameras and stood on stage before live audiences to talk about my experience. But this book marks the first time Ive ever told, from my perspective, the whole story of what happened. And Im excited about the opportunity because I expect new friends, strangers, and people Ive known for years, and even my family, will gain new insightsnot just into my story but also into me. And into life.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Have you ever walked into a room and had all eyes upon you? Imagine you are in front of hundreds or even thousands of people. Suddenly everyone turns toward you and gasps at your appearance.

Always being the center of attention may be your dream. It is my living nightmare. Young children cry and run from me. Older kids have pointed and jeered, Look at the monkey! Adults have demanded, Take off your mask! People have actually walked out of restaurants complaining that I was ruining their meal."

This is how Joel Sonnenberg began a high school essay about himself several years ago.

Now here is the extraordinary story of Joel Sonnenberg, whose life was forever altered one day, more than twenty years ago, when an 18-wheeler plowed into a line of vehicles waiting at a tollbooth on the New Jersey turnpike. The car Joel was riding in caught fire. By the time he could be pulled from the wreckage, his car seat had melted into him. Joel, only two years old, suffered third-degree burns over 88 percent of his body, losing his ears, nose, fingers, toes, and lips in the process. From the start, doctors believed that Joel would not survive for more than a few hours or days. When he did, the doctors gave the family no real hope that he could ever function well enough to have a meaningful life. But Joel's parents never gave up hope as they continually prayed for his recovery. They never stopped trusting that Joel's life had been spared because God had something special in mind for their son.

Joel has undergone countless operations in his lifetime, each one attempting to restore his ability to perform daily functions that most people take for granted, like walking, eating, grasping, andwriting.

Not only has Joel beaten all the odds by surviving, he has accomplished so much. In high school, Joel earned all-conference honors on the varsity soccer team that he captained, was elected student body president, and was a prince of the homecoming court. He was an Olympic Torch Bearer in 1996 and was the student speaker at his college commencement ceremony at Taylor University where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in Communication Studies.

America has watched Joel grow up on news programs such as NBC's Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours, which have reported on his progress for over twenty years. Yet despite all of the coverage that Joel has received, one very important side of the story remains to be told: Joel's full personal account. Joel shares his secrets to overcoming the greatest of personal tragedies as he discusses the ups and downs of a life marked by challenges conquered and obstacles confronted head on. This is the first time that the whole story is presented. Joel gives his firsthand account of what it was like for him to grow up in a world obsessed with superficial appearance and how his faith has made him whole.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly