Looking out for Evan: A Brief Memoir

It hardly seemed a choice. The author and his wife, in their mid-forties with grown children, felt compelled to look after an extraordinary baby boy, Evan, during the last months of his life. The couple's story is an intimate account of family dynamics and of hospital culture, and of unconditional love in the midst of conflict and mourning. The couple remained vigilant, questioned medical decisions, and involved themselves in Evan's day-to-day care, while opposing what they saw as a push for extreme experimentation on him.



Through many anecdotes the reader gets to know Evan himself, a little charmer who drew the love and respect of nearly all who knew him. Several observations provide insights into the conflicting interests that Evan's doctors faced, and into the compassion of many doctors and nurses and the support they provided that went well beyond medical care.



G. Michael Shufelt lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Amy. He divides his time among writing, part-time teaching of undergraduate mathematics, gardening, and, of course, looking out for family members and a small group of good friends.