Mistaken Identity – by Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell,
Colleen & Whitney Cerak With Mark Tabb
“Meet Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak: one buried under the
wrong name, one in a coma and being cared for by the wrong family.
Five lives were lost in a tragic accident involving a Taylor
University van, and one student, severely injured and comatose, was rushed to
the hospital.
Five funerals were held. Families, faculty, students, and
communities grieved their losses and joined in prayer and hope as the one young
woman, Laura Van Ryn, fought for her life in a hospital bed. The national news
spread the story, and people everywhere shared the grief and the hope.
Five weeks passed for the Cerak family. Believing they had
buried their daughter, the Ceraks clung to their faith and worshipped God
through their grief, learning to look forward with hope to an eternal reunion
with their lovely daughter Whitney.
Five weeks passed for the Van Ryns. Keeping a constant
bedside vigil over their precious daughter Laura, they sat and prayed and
hoped. Confronted with tubes and surgeries, vital signs and healing signs, they
rejoiced at each tiny advance toward recovery. Their friends and church and
family members, along with a steady stream of students, celebrated with them
each sign of Laura’s healing.
And then the shock!
“Okay, Laura, I would like you to write your name for me,”
the occupational therapist said.
W-H-I-T-N-E-Y.”
A grief reversed. A hope deferred. The stunning
true story of two families trading places from graveside to bedside. (from book cover)
Review:
I recall hearing about this story when it happened back in
2006. I remember thinking how horrible it must have been to be the family who
thought their daughter was alive, only to find out she had been buried. By
another family. I still feel that way, of course, but this book has shown how
amazing these two families are. I read this book because I remembered hearing about it when it happened. I started
it during the time I was having a difficult time focusing on reading and books,
and I found I had a hard time putting it down. It is an incredible story and,
as I said, both of these families are amazing. They are both very religious
families, and while I do not share their faith in God and religion, I was
amazed at the sense of community I felt while reading this book. All involved
turned to people of their faith, their families, and God for guidance and
support to get them through this tragedy they found themselves in. I was blown
away by the strength they all had, as well as how understanding and accepting
they all were. When the Van Ryns discovered their daughter, Laura, had in fact
died the night of the accident, they were not angry that they had been taking
care of a stranger, but happy they were there to help her through such a
difficult time. And when the Ceraks found out that their daughter, Whitney, was
the girl in the hospital, they truly felt for the Van Ryns because they knew
how it felt to lose a child.
I think this story is one of hope, community, and the miracles
of life. After I finished reading Mistaken
Identity, I sat and stared at the book for a while, just trying to process
everything I had learned. It’s hard not to reflect on your own life after
reading such a story, and you certainly appreciate the people you have in your
life. If you have an interest in non-fiction books, I suggest you read this
book. Even if you don’t, it is a very interesting read. I give this book a
3.5/5.
Happy Reading!
