The Randomness of Life

Barranquitas, Venezuela is real. Nearly half of its population has inherited a malicious, mutated gene that causes a deadly neurological disease. Marina Valdesa, age 36, lies dying in a Casa Hogar Amor y Fe, or House of Love and Hope. Her nine children will be orphaned and may inherit the same fate as their mother. Daniel, a 39-year-old nursing home resident outside Chicago shares Marina's deadly diagnosis as researchers in academia and industry attempt relentlessly to discover a cure. Their mutual plight is one of mystery, devastation, hope and soul searching. The quality of their lives gets microscoped just like their diminishing brain cells.

Marina's 18-year-old daughter Tula, escapes her homeland and accompanies an American volunteer to Chicago to participate in a clinical trial at a leading University Hospital. As Tula is introduced to the latest pharmaceutical attempts and research studies to eradicate the loss of our minds and bodily functions we learn through other characters that salvation arrives from unconditional love. In a world that advocates the benefits of Omega III, fish oil, salmon and blueberries, we cannot put off death. We learn to experience healing without a cure and relief in the face of suffering. The Randomness of Life is a compassionate portrayal of some of life's real heroes and their families.

Author Bio: Marilyn Warda, a Northwest Indiana native is a medical practice manager now working in Southwest Arizona. She has experienced the trials for caring for those suffering from debilitating neurological disease. Marilyn has a BA degree from Purdue University where she majored in communications and journalism.

In her debut novel, The Randomness of Life, she allows the reader to see themselves in every chapter and face the ultimate of one's fears.

keywords:
Quality of Life, Hope, Alzheimer's, Gene Silencing, Heroes, Clinical Trials, Human Genome Project, Huntington's Disease, Nursing Homes, Medical Research, Pharmaceutical Advances, Death, Soul Searching