Did You Know…

Legacy Member JT Mestdagh is the author of Untether, a memoir that is a best seller at Amazon Books.

I met JT Mestdagh last year when he was at Ocean Reef visiting his grandparents Marlene and John Boll. He appeared to be an attractive, well mannered, outgoing 23-year-old. His cheerful demeanor made me question what could possibly have inspired such a young person to write a deeply personal and highly praised memoir.

Then one afternoon not long ago, I picked up my previously purchased copy of Untether. Admittedly, I planned to skim it, but instead I read, and in some cases reread, every word of the 323-page paperback.

The saga of Untether is presented entirely in JT’s own words and his description of his birth defects and the medical procedures to correct them is unsparing.

Shortly after delivery, the doctor informed JT’s parents that their newborn son had to have an immediate operation on his esophagus, which was non-existent and food could not go into his stomach. Also required was another complicated surgical procedure for a condition called anal atresia, which required rerouting the colon so body waste could come out of artificial openings in the stomach and into a colostomy bag.

By

Joan Birsh

Release Date

November, 8th 2019

Published

Ocean Reef Press

An Unmistakable Spirit.

Vater Syndrome, Not a Disease.

A rare (1 in 10,000 to 40,000 newborns) collection of birth defects, whose cause is unknown. Vater is an acronym that refers to the five different areas in which a child may have abnormalities – vertebrae, anus, trachea, esophagus, renal (kidneys). Before the age of three, JT spent 250 days in hospitals and by the time he was a teenager, he had undergone 16 major surgeries.

Miracles Touch Your Life.

In spite of periods of unbelievable pain, humiliation and disappointment

JT is never whiny or self-pitying. Instead he is upbeat, optimistic and grateful to his doctors, nurses, caretakers and most of all to his loving family. And, indeed, in addition to the indominable leading role in this real-life human drama, the supporting cast of heroes includes JT’s parents Kris and Jim Mestdagh and his two sets of grandparents Ruthie and Bill Mestdagh and Marlene and John Boll. They were beside JT throughout every crisis (several of them life-threatening), always encouraged him to reach his goals, and never stopped praying for him. For JT and all of his family, their enduring faith in God was a major source of hope and consolation.

“It wasn’t all pain and mess and frustration,” says JT in a passage that generously reassures his readers. “When I was four months old, we spent my first Christmas at my Papi’s and Nani’s (Boll) home in Colorado. And in February we traveled to Florida to spend time with them on their boat, where I had my first-ever swim in a pool. “

JT’s young life was punctuated by surgeries, infections, intestinal procedures that he frequently found painful and sometimes embarrassing. And yet throughout it all, there were always understanding playmates, tireless tutors, and mentors like his ski instructor, who not only taught him to be an excellent skier but, fostered his continuing love of the outdoors.