A Different Beautiful: Discovering and Celebrating Beauty in Places You Never Expected

Westlake had never heard of the medical condition of harlequin ichthyosis until her daughter, Brenna, was born with the genetic skin disease in 2011. Westlake, already the mother of a healthy two-year-old boy, Connor, was thrilled to discover she was carrying a baby girl. Her happy anticipation soon turned into overwhelming fear when doctors and nurses whisked Brenna off immediately after her birth because her skin was shedding from her tiny body. Westlake shares in up-close detail the courageous journey of parenting Brenna, and how outsiders have greeted their daughter's condition with stares and nasty comments. Rather than grow bitter, Westlake and her husband daily give thanks to God for their beautiful daughter and the countless blessings and life lessons she imparts. This is an emotional story that takes readers from those first tenuous shaky steps to a confident stride that will both inspire and fortify. Westlake's message will especially resonate with parents who have endured difficult medical challenges with their children, but her joyful, resilient, and grateful outlook will encourage individuals of all kinds. (Aug.)