I'll Fly Away

"Sapir's account of his stint as Medical Director of Oakland, California's Center for Elders' Independence (CEI) swells with powerful anecdotes of the program's participants, aiming for a 'bird's-eye view of death and dying within a supportive community for disabled elders.' Sapir shares both the medical and emotional aspects of elderly patients facing illness, pain, and death, casting their courage and wisdom as inspirational testimony-often in contrast to his own inclinations as a trained physician. Some, like Ara Belle Kingsby, opt out of medical care and request palliative treatment only, while others waver in their decision to die-especially when in great pain. Of all the moving portraits in the book, several linger: Cornelio, who rejected dialysis and welcomed death; Curtis accidentally setting himself on fire while trying to smoke; Paul Dudock's yearning for family; Locario's poignant wish to go back to his home country; Gus, with his beautiful gospel singing voice, irritated when identified by others as white due to his fair complexion, who 'liked to wander the highways and byways, without a defined goal'; and Stevie, ever 'proud of his days as a hustler and street soul.' Each story affirms Sapir's opening declaration of the 'enriching, surprising, meaningful, and sometimes confounding experiences' he encountered during his time at CEI."-Publishers Weekly Book Life (Editor's Pick!)

"A compassionate combination of end-of-life storytelling and medical reporting, I'll Fly Away: Stories About Amazing Disabled Elders by Marc Sapir is an affirming collection of stories and essays centered on the myriad experiences of disabled seniors."-Self-Publishing Review

"'I'll Fly Away,' a 1929 song, is about freedom; it's also the title of Marc Sapir's beautiful book about 40 people approaching the end of life. Using the wisdom gained from the patient-doctor relationship and a Janus-like understanding of crossroads, we learn how looking back informs the road moving toward death."-John Swartzberg, MD, FACP, University of California Berkeley's School of Public Health. Chair, Editorial Board, UC Berkeley Wellness Letter

"Could the lives of 40 disabled oldsters in a geriatric program make interesting reading? 'Interesting' is an understatement. These stories are fascinating. From end-of-life tales, demented women engaged in sex, a man on oxygen lighting himself up with a cigarette, a Mexican American family trying to remove their mother from control by their schizophrenic brother, a 99-year-old couple attempting to drive across the Arizona desert in midsummer without air-conditioning, each person's tale is unique, carefully told by Dr. Marc Sapir who unfolds the complexity and humanity of the program's charges."-Anthony Somkin MD, medical director RotaCare West Contra Costa

"Dr. Sapir discusses complex and difficult decisions that must be made and the challenging social contexts with kindness and insight." -Khati Hendry MD, former medical director Clinica de la Raza Oakland, CA and the East Bay Community Health Center Network

"A collection of wonderful real-life stories on aging. Marc vividly portrays a complex series of human emotions, struggles, conflict, interactions, and relationships." -Thomas Irungu MD, MPH, medical director Sentara Health Plans, VA