happy faces only

Haley arrived in the world in full health, but at seventeen months old she became a medical patient, and that change reshaped her life and the lives of everyone around her. The memoir traces her family's path from the first days of illness to the end, with its detours, its hard losses, and its moments of real happiness. The author gives most attention to the long middle stretch, where the family grows and changes. Along the way, the book looks at the care they received, from doctors and caregivers whose job it was to help and from many unexpected people who stepped in. The title reflects Haley's way of facing life.