The Chicken Who Saved Us: The Remarkable Story of Andrew and Frightful

This non-fiction book is about one families struggle in trying to help their son who claims his "body is trying to kill him". Although the book is called the chicken who saved us, the story is actually far from being about chickens. You will gain insight into the very complex medical system that surrounds us. You will also learn about the struggle of one family and the Seattle medical system that helped them diagnose and eventually treat a very rare genetic condition in their son after years of suffering. If you are a parent, brother, sister, teacher, friend, doctor or even just a curious individual, I highly encourage you to read this book. One families struggle of years of pain could be another person's answer. I had the pleasure of meeting the author and she shared in great detail the struggles her family went through and where everybody has landed today. Kristin still remains optimistic and is an inspiration to so many going through similar experiences. Don't hesitate in reading this book. I'm very glad I did.

When I submitted the manuscript for my 5th book to my editor she said, "Not good enough. Do better." When I asked her how, she told me to read this book, The Chicken Who Saved Us. I did, and it made an enormous difference. This book is supremely well written, and allows the reader to get into the mind of the author who was going through an almost unimaginably difficult ordeal, like the character in my book. Even if the topic of this book isn't relevant to you, you will love reading it. And if it is relevant, you will love it even more.

The reason most of us fall in love with books in the first place is that they open up worlds we never knew existed and introduce us to people and perspectives we’ve never known. There are so many of these worlds, typically hidden—many of which we’d never willingly enter—like the world of critical childhood illness within the massive walls of the best hospitals in the world. In The Chicken Who Saved Us: The Remarkable Story of Andrew and Frightful, Kristin Jarvis Adams introduces us to the remarkable people of this world—people, like Andrew, who are braver and more resilient than most of us can imagine. In this frightening world, which has a medical language all its own, Adams takes our trepidation about this world and transforms it into tenderness and awe for the doctors, who work at the very borders of medical discovery, for the friends, who operationalize support in ways most of us have never conceived, for the families with sick children that endure the unendurable, for the patients that bear the unbearable, and, most unexpectedly, for the animals—including Frightful, who only got to visit Andrew in the hospital via video call, but who became a friend more than worthy of the superhero persona and status Andrew bestowed. I am so glad to have spent several recent evenings immersed in this world of everyday heroes, who too often remain hidden from our view, and I applaud Kristin Jarvis Adams for deftly sharing such a touching story.

I have a love/hate relationship with memoirs. It seems that anyone who had a minor brush with fame gets to write one. I’ve read some ponderous and infantile memoirs (no I won’t mention any names), that were mostly a waste of the readers time and exist only for the writer (and agent) to get some cash and for a small slice of fans to find some minor interest in. There are though, a few really inspired memoirs, where people have interesting stories to tell and tell them in an engaging way. Kristin Adams’s book “The Chicken Who Saved Us: The Remarkable Story of Andrew and Frightful,” is accurately named. It is a remarkable story about a family who on the one hand has a one of a kind experience, but also illustrates the ways most of us struggle with the illness of our closest loved ones. This family deals with it in their own individual and somewhat complex way, with a main character unlike any I have encountered before. It is really well written, and never sappy, although I’d be surprised if the Hallmark Channel doesn’t snap this up and turn it into a 90-minute TV show. Highly recommended reading.

There are stories about animals of different species being best friends, about a crocodile being a certified emotional support therapy animal and two male penguins being the best parents an orphan penguin egg could have. This story, speaks to the incredible connection between a very special boy and his loving chicken. The author perfectly and honestly captures this beautiful relationship, shares how such an improbable creature makes all the difference in the hanging balance between life and death, and ultimately how it is love, sometimes from surprising relationships, that saves us.

Memoir is very hard work. Kristin Jarvis Adams had a story that could not wait to be told. The story finds you and it wants to be told, and you simply have no choice but to write it. Like the chicken who lays an egg, this egg was ready to hatch. The Chicken Who Saved Us, is a beautiful story of family and community, a boy named Andrew, and his chicken named Frightful, as they navigate the unchartered waters of a rare medical diagnosis, and the evolution of a never-ending faith.

I have had the distinct pleasure to meet Andrew and his sweet family. The first pages of this book captures such love and heartache for their son, Andrew. Knowing the true people listed in the book gives such a personal account of the struggles they faced with their ill son, but also the triumphant victory over his near death experience. Wonderfully written, Kristin has an amazing ability to pull her readers into her story, as if we were sitting on their living room carpet with her family. A must read for sure!

This book is a marvel of storytelling...but this story is true. The story of a family first faced with the challenges of a child diagnosed early in toddlerhood with Asperger's is worth the read on its own. But then to discover that the mysterious illnesses that began to crop up just a short time later were not easily diagnosed and resolved "kid crud", but instead an extraordinarily rare genetic disorder that seemed to defy treatment. While the author struggled to find help for her sick boy, he was finding solace and a companion in his pet chicken, Frightful. The bonds between boy and bird made me alternately weep and snort-laff and I will never forget what I learned from it about courage and determination.

I could NOT put this book down. It's a real page turner. I was desperate to know more about Andrew and the research, effort, and support Children's Hospital put in to save this young boys life. I was also desperate to know about the relationship he had with Frightful (the chicken) who clearly loved and understood what Andrew was going through. My heart and soul went out to the family (EVERY single one of them) especially the mother, father and sister. I cried. I laughed. I prayed for hope and a miracle. I don't want to give away the story, but the writing style, flow and ease the writer articulates a fragile story in just the right way. Beautifully written.

I spent most of the last two days immersed in "The Chicken Who Saved Us". It is a remarkable book...a work of art...inspiring...an emotion provoking story of an amazing family. I highly recommend reading it. Bravo, Kristin...I'm in awe! Thank you for sharing your family and story with us.

This non-fiction book is about one families struggle in trying to help their son who claims his "body is trying to kill him". Although the book is called the chicken who saved us, the story is actually far from being about chickens. You will gain insight into the very complex medical system that surrounds us. You will also learn about the struggle of one family and the Seattle medical system that helped them diagnose and eventually treat a very rare genetic condition in their son after years of suffering. If you are a parent, brother, sister, teacher, friend, doctor or even just a curious individual, I highly encourage you to read this book. One families struggle of years of pain could be another person's answer. I had the pleasure of meeting the author and she shared in great detail the struggles her family went through and where everybody has landed today. Kristin still remains optimistic and is an inspiration to so many going through similar experiences. Don't hesitate in reading this book. I'm very glad I did.

When I submitted the manuscript for my 5th book to my editor she said, "Not good enough. Do better." When I asked her how, she told me to read this book, The Chicken Who Saved Us. I did, and it made an enormous difference. This book is supremely well written, and allows the reader to get into the mind of the author who was going through an almost unimaginably difficult ordeal, like the character in my book. Even if the topic of this book isn't relevant to you, you will love reading it. And if it is relevant, you will love it even more.

The reason most of us fall in love with books in the first place is that they open up worlds we never knew existed and introduce us to people and perspectives we’ve never known. There are so many of these worlds, typically hidden—many of which we’d never willingly enter—like the world of critical childhood illness within the massive walls of the best hospitals in the world. In The Chicken Who Saved Us: The Remarkable Story of Andrew and Frightful, Kristin Jarvis Adams introduces us to the remarkable people of this world—people, like Andrew, who are braver and more resilient than most of us can imagine. In this frightening world, which has a medical language all its own, Adams takes our trepidation about this world and transforms it into tenderness and awe for the doctors, who work at the very borders of medical discovery, for the friends, who operationalize support in ways most of us have never conceived, for the families with sick children that endure the unendurable, for the patients that bear the unbearable, and, most unexpectedly, for the animals—including Frightful, who only got to visit Andrew in the hospital via video call, but who became a friend more than worthy of the superhero persona and status Andrew bestowed. I am so glad to have spent several recent evenings immersed in this world of everyday heroes, who too often remain hidden from our view, and I applaud Kristin Jarvis Adams for deftly sharing such a touching story.

I have a love/hate relationship with memoirs. It seems that anyone who had a minor brush with fame gets to write one. I’ve read some ponderous and infantile memoirs (no I won’t mention any names), that were mostly a waste of the readers time and exist only for the writer (and agent) to get some cash and for a small slice of fans to find some minor interest in. There are though, a few really inspired memoirs, where people have interesting stories to tell and tell them in an engaging way. Kristin Adams’s book “The Chicken Who Saved Us: The Remarkable Story of Andrew and Frightful,” is accurately named. It is a remarkable story about a family who on the one hand has a one of a kind experience, but also illustrates the ways most of us struggle with the illness of our closest loved ones. This family deals with it in their own individual and somewhat complex way, with a main character unlike any I have encountered before. It is really well written, and never sappy, although I’d be surprised if the Hallmark Channel doesn’t snap this up and turn it into a 90-minute TV show. Highly recommended reading.

There are stories about animals of different species being best friends, about a crocodile being a certified emotional support therapy animal and two male penguins being the best parents an orphan penguin egg could have. This story, speaks to the incredible connection between a very special boy and his loving chicken. The author perfectly and honestly captures this beautiful relationship, shares how such an improbable creature makes all the difference in the hanging balance between life and death, and ultimately how it is love, sometimes from surprising relationships, that saves us.

Memoir is very hard work. Kristin Jarvis Adams had a story that could not wait to be told. The story finds you and it wants to be told, and you simply have no choice but to write it. Like the chicken who lays an egg, this egg was ready to hatch. The Chicken Who Saved Us, is a beautiful story of family and community, a boy named Andrew, and his chicken named Frightful, as they navigate the unchartered waters of a rare medical diagnosis, and the evolution of a never-ending faith.

I have had the distinct pleasure to meet Andrew and his sweet family. The first pages of this book captures such love and heartache for their son, Andrew. Knowing the true people listed in the book gives such a personal account of the struggles they faced with their ill son, but also the triumphant victory over his near death experience. Wonderfully written, Kristin has an amazing ability to pull her readers into her story, as if we were sitting on their living room carpet with her family. A must read for sure!

This book is a marvel of storytelling...but this story is true. The story of a family first faced with the challenges of a child diagnosed early in toddlerhood with Asperger's is worth the read on its own. But then to discover that the mysterious illnesses that began to crop up just a short time later were not easily diagnosed and resolved "kid crud", but instead an extraordinarily rare genetic disorder that seemed to defy treatment. While the author struggled to find help for her sick boy, he was finding solace and a companion in his pet chicken, Frightful. The bonds between boy and bird made me alternately weep and snort-laff and I will never forget what I learned from it about courage and determination.

I could NOT put this book down. It's a real page turner. I was desperate to know more about Andrew and the research, effort, and support Children's Hospital put in to save this young boys life. I was also desperate to know about the relationship he had with Frightful (the chicken) who clearly loved and understood what Andrew was going through. My heart and soul went out to the family (EVERY single one of them) especially the mother, father and sister. I cried. I laughed. I prayed for hope and a miracle. I don't want to give away the story, but the writing style, flow and ease the writer articulates a fragile story in just the right way. Beautifully written.

I spent most of the last two days immersed in "The Chicken Who Saved Us". It is a remarkable book...a work of art...inspiring...an emotion provoking story of an amazing family. I highly recommend reading it. Bravo, Kristin...I'm in awe! Thank you for sharing your family and story with us.

An awesome story of a boy with autism and a family dealing with medical problems along with it. I especially liked the recommendations at the end of the story.

A beautiful story about a family’s journey to help their son with autism who was battling a rare genetic disorder that kept him hospitalized for a year. Their sons unique friendship with a chicken ultimately gave them insights into what was going on in his body. I laughed and cried reading the entire book in one day... unable to put it down. A must read, inspirational story of love and hope... and a chicken who saved a family.

Kristin has written one of the most honest stories of the journey through the labyrinth chronic illness you will ever read. As she and her family face the rare condition that almost took her son, Andrew's life, she lays open her heart at its bravest, its most frightened, and most resilient. All along the way, she made me smile at the beautiful relationship between Andrew and his chicken Frightful that sustained him throughout the entire ordeal. I read it through in one sitting.

What a beautifully written story about Andrew and his loving companion, Frightful. Raising a child on the Austin spectrum has enough challenges but Andrew’s journey took him down a path riddled with medical mysteries even the best doctors could not diagnose. The courage and determination to get answers to help Andrew will remind you what unconditional love and faith truly are.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who cares about others and how they live and deal in their lives. Kristin Adams does a fantastic job sharing the ups and downs of all aspects of dealing with severe illness with Andrew as well as his autism . This story will make you cry and teach you so much

A pet chicken helps a family take a closer look at their son and realize he has a serious, nearly fatal rare disease.

Lovely, lovely book! I am giving a copy to everyone I know. A touching story, so well written, of the challenges and joys of a family dealing with autism as well as a major health crisis. And, those chickens! The strength, caring, compassion of this family shines through on each page. This book is a "present" pure and simple. so glad I read it.

My heart was touched by a family in turmoil, seeking every avenue to make their family whole and healthy. A wise chicken and an extraordinary young boy connect on a level that give us hope in the midst of so much despair. We have much to learn about caring, sharing, and loving.

Just finished a re-read of The Chicken Who Saved Us. Once again, I am reminded of how loss and grief are such an integral part of our humanity. Kristin is able to express through her telling of her own family's encounters with anxiety, panic attacks, disbelief, belief, faith and the absence of it, the uncertainties that we all face at one time or another. The 'good news' that Kristin reminds us of is 'we are not alone’.

Utterly heartbreaking and divinely beautiful at the same time! The author's raw and exposed heart really resonated with me as a mother. I would recommend this book to any parent that has ever felt helpless in a struggle to help their child through a crisis...medical or otherwise. Adams is able to inject some humor into a heavy subject and introduce you to the secret world of her amazing son, Andrew....where superheroes are real and chickens can talk!

I bought this book in paperback one morning and made the mistake of starting to read it on my phone via the free Kindle preview feature. When I finished the free preview I went back to buy it in Kindle version so I could keep reading. I finished the book in one long sitting that same day. So I finished two days before I got the paperback which I can now share with others. A very compelling story that I couldn't put down. I laughed and cried while marveling of the strength of the Adams family.

The author pours such passion, humor, and love into each page of this book. By sharing this true story of how her family survived life-and-death decisions, she also shows how important a chicken was in this experience! Hard to believe this is the author's first novel. I anticipate others from her as I thoroughly enjoyed living life through her eyes in the journey of this book!

loved this story ... happy, sad, funny but most of all inspiring story of strength, perseverance and family unity! for men, women, all ages!

I very heart felt true story of a family's struggle with a very unusual illness and all the emotions and hard work involved in getting him well. A family that never gave up.

This was a wonderfully written book. It was sometimes hard to read to see what this family went through. They had so much turmoil in dealing with the "system". They had fantastic friends & family that helped them through all of this. Andrew is a beautiful human being.

Couldn’t put it down! A heartwarming account of an incredible family (and chicken) and their fight for their son, brother and best friends life.💜💜💜

What a great book! I felt like this was a great book for all parents in general, not only parents of critically ill children or those with children who have special needs or challenges. A lot of life lessons, perspectives on parenting and how we all could benefit from not try to control so much and just “be” and let others “be” whoever/whatever that is, especially our children and to have faith. Highly recommend reading this book.

A friend recommended this book as she knows the family. I realized it is just one of the many stories that comes from children's hospitals. We hug our healthy adult child & feel so blessed to have not had these scary situations.

Beautiful story. I expected it to be more information about an Autism journey rather than medical but this was an expectation I had.very well written and told from a mothers heart.

A great look into a the life of a family going through something the majority of us could never understand. Definitely share with all on your list.

We read this book for our book club. It is an amazing story about a very strong mother and her autistic son and the chicken Frightull who saved him. There’s much more to the story you will just have to read it !

This book about a boy with Autism who becomes acutely ill and a chicken named Frightful is worth reading. It was very touching and I highly recommend it!

Beautiful and heart warming story! Thank you Kristin, for opening up your heart and sharing your story with us. As an animal lover, I resonated with your beautiful testament to the power our furry friends can transcend to and through the human being.

Amazing heartfelt book. Loved this Mom's honesty, passion and strength. A book about hope and struggle. Beautifully written.

Don't miss the chance to read this touching book. It everything a book should be by an incredible author.

Excellent book

I finished this book the same day I picked it up. I wasn't expecting to fall into this book so hard. I was hooked on Andrew's story and his horrible ride through his illness. As a graphic designer I connected to Kristin and her drive for a career and balancing it all between work and family and being perfect. I also really felt akin to Hannah and her anger against Andrew and her parents of being the forgotten sibling. While nothing to this caliber has happened in my family I often feel the same way as being the one who is always ok and the other sibling needs all the attention. It can be hard and I think she handled it well. The best part is this book is a pretty quick one. It felt like everything was necessary and it wasn't too long. It also wasn't graphic or gory which a lot of hospital type books can be. I loved how the community came around the family to help them through this catastrophe. I often have a hard time asking for help and found the way they came together a good experience to ask for help and keep asking. The only thing I didn't love with the push of god and the narrative there. Im not christian so sometimes I feel like its pushing peoples beliefs, but in this case I think it was necessary and part of the story but I just don't get into that as much. Overall this was a great and powerful read that really put things into perspective.

It is not surprise to me that at this point 91% of the readers of this book gave it 5 stars. It is a must read on several levels. In no special order: The tenacity of the author to never give up when she knew something was wrong. The family love that is so obvious between the author and her husband and among all members of the family. The ability of a chicken to communicate with Andrew and how that relationship saved the family. The medical aspect of the story and how this mother's tenacity finally brought the right medical people together to help heal her son. This story was particularly enlightening for me as I spent more than a week with Kristen and Jon walking a portion of the Camino de Santiago. At that time I only knew that they were a loving couple that had a son with special needs. It was only after reading this book that I realized the depth of that love and their dedication to helping their son. This is a remarkable story about a remarkable family. They are role models for all of us and certainly my heroes.

Most of us are tired of all of the ugly news. We want to know that there is goodness in this world. That there are good people! Well, this is one of the books that will brighten your day! A remarkable story of a loving family, a little boy who must combat illness and his helpful friend--a chicken! Read it! It will make you smile, it may make you cry, but it will also make you feel better and more hopeful!

I can honestly say that I have never been moved by a book as much as I was by The Chicken Who Saved Us. I was hooked after the first page and could not put it down. The story in itself is incredibly difficult yet I was so inspired by the courage, strength, tenacity and faith this family possesses and the wonderful friends that surround them. There is a mystical component as well which makes this story even more special. I found myself in tears multiple times throughout the book. It is truly a must read!

As the mother of an autistic daughter and the donor for my own brother's bone marrow transplant many years ago, there was already so much in this story to touch my heart. Beyond that though, this story resonates with humanity and is filled with moments of struggle, courage, despair, resilience, hope and love. Kristin Jarvis Adams' incredible honesty and captivating imagery left me laughing and crying and emotionally exhausted reading about her family's remarkable journey.

When I first met Kristin I would not have guessed the trauma that her and her family went through. I had the privilege of hearing her speak at a gala but those few minutes that she captivated an audience of 300 with her story did not scrape the surface of their ten year journey to and from Seattle Children's Hospital and the heartache and fear that they would face. I sat down to read her book anticipating about a week to make it from cover to cover. Her book is so captivating that I couldn't put it down. I finished the book and my box of tissues in two days. Her book will make you laugh as Kristin has a great sense of humor. It will make you cry as their story will tug at your heartstrings as you read in amazement of the strength that Kristin and her family had to endure during such a trying decade. What surprised me the most is that this calm, composed and cheerful mom truly went through hell yet has found the strength to craft her story with such bravado and skill and share the most vulnerable moments of her life with the world. Her story will stay with you for years to come.

This is a powerful story told in a fresh and raw way. It draws you in and keeps you there until you sigh in relief at the end. I appreciate the honesty of emotion, the wrestling with faith and the attention to detail. I am amazed at the miracle of an empathetic chicken, the self-sacrifice of a sister, and the dogged determination of a parent. It's a necessary glimpse into the life of a child with special needs. It's a reminder to look around you and see what your neighbor might need. And for goodness sake, let's all kiss our chickens!

You don’t have to love chickens to love this book. It is raw. Real life. Funny. Heart breaking. Spiritual. A must read for all but especially for anyone who either has, or knows someone who has a special needs and/or critically ill child. It is very well written. I felt like I was a friend going through this incredibly difficult time right along side her. You will not be disappointed.

What a beautiful family. Full of strength, integrity, and grace. A life-threatening story, an honest recollection of the hardest times in life one faces. Those who have autistic children or those facing other terrifying diseases with horrific decisions to make will completely relate to her compelling account. I could not put it down for hours. Then some of her accounts hit too close to home for me, so I had to take a break. Now I am finishing the book, and what a treasure. Please read it.

Wow! This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and amazingly well-told story about a family's life with a child's devastatingly painful illness, told with raw honesty by his mother. You will feel like part of this family and learn so much about what families go through in these situations, and how to help others or ask for help if you need it. Andrew's autism is shown in wonderful honesty, making his story even more special. Not to mention the comfort he got from a family chicken.

I've made my book club read this and sent a copy to my best friend from childhood. Everyone I know who has read it has loved it, and many of these are people who never read memoirs. This memoir reads like page-turner of a novel, even though the reader kind of already knows the outcome. I rooted for this mama writer the entire time I was reading, holding my breath as she demanded the hospital save her dying boy and amazed that she managed to make the story of a friendship between a chicken and a boy come alive. This book: read it!

What a breathtaking memoir written by a gifted author. She spun the tale of her life with her son in such a beautiful way, it was so hard to put the book down. It shows the strength of a family when one of their own is in trouble, and it definitely shows what one tough mama can accomplish. The story is made richer still by Frightful, the family chicken, the only creature who truly reaches her son. Tears of sadness, joy, and praise! Great read!

For longer than I care to admit I've been in a book desert fearing my attention span was substantially eroded until I sat down with this book! A remarkable story of an incredible family, particularly that beautiful red-headed young man on the cover with his amazing chicken!! The author's ability to transport you into their world was exceptional and deeply moving. For me, as a parent of a differently-abled son, her transparency helped give voice to and acceptance of long held silent struggles - I am grateful for the accompanying sense of release!! I would encourage anyone to read this book - like a laser beam it reminds us of what is truly important in Life and especially the power of Love!!!

Incredible Book! Kristin Jarvis Adams writes with stunning honesty and vulnerability about her family's story. The themes of faith, community, fear, doubt, and love are handled so well that absolutely everyone will be able to connect with Andrew, Frightful, and their struggle. I am grateful for books like this.

Even though I had heard Kristen speak on several occasions and knew the outcome of this compelling story, I could not put this book down, reading late into the night and finishing the next morning. This family's 10 year painful and frightening ordeal is lovingly told with humor and surprising candor. You will laugh, you will cry, and ultimately feel hope at how the care and compassion of friends, the incredible skill and commitment of the medical community, and the depth of communication of a pet chicken with an Autistic boy come together to save this amazing family.

Amazing story, beautifully told. Having a son with autism, I identified completely with that side of the story, but what a view I got into the medical world on the other side. Kristin wrote a real page turner that brought vivid pictures of people and places to life. The emotions are so well written that they you feel as though you are personally involved. This book about true events is filled with warmth and love, terror and anxiety. This is an important book for people who are in the autism/medical community as well as for people who do not have a clue. Carry on Andrew, you, your beloved chickens, and your entire family!