When Rosie and her husband Steve set out on the daunting journey for his life-saving liver transplant, they had no idea they were stepping into a medical labyrinth where the stakes were nothing short of life and death. Their story, chronicled in Rosie’s award-winning memoir If You’d Only Listen, is a testament to the grit, love, and relentless determination required to survive not just a major illness, but the perilous maze of the American healthcare system.
Awarded the 2024 Zibby Book Awards Best Story of Overcoming, and the 2025 American Legacy Book Awards in Health, Rosie’s memoir is more than a personal account-it’s a rallying cry for patient advocacy and a wake-up call about the dangers of preventable medical errors. According to research from Johns Hopkins and Harvard, 371,000 patients die every year in the U.S. due to preventable medical mistakes, with another 424,000 left with ongoing disabilities. Rosie and Steve, like so many families, were unaware of these staggering statistics when they left California for another state, desperate for a transplant after facing an impossibly long waiting list at home.
If You’d Only Listen plunges readers into the chaos and confusion that can accompany a critical medical journey. Rosie’s “midwestern tomboy grit” is tested at every turn as she confronts misdiagnoses, communication failures, and a system that often seemed more adversarial than supportive. Through a combination of fierce advocacy, meticulous notetaking, and an unyielding refusal to be ignored, Rosie became Steve’s lifeline-catching errors, asking the hard questions, and refusing to accept vague answers or dismissals.
What sets Rosie’s account apart is her ability to balance the horror of medical missteps with a wicked sense of humor. Her storytelling is both personal and universal, drawing readers in with the pacing of a medical thriller and the intimacy of a friend’s heartfelt letter. As Dr. Robert A. Nozik of UCSF notes, “It reads like a thriller. I don’t know how she survived all these harrowing events and kept her sanity and sense of humor. She’s one tough cookie.”
The memoir’s impact extends beyond storytelling. The addendum provides a deep dive into the realities of medical error, the influence of private equity in healthcare, and the pervasive issue of racial bias. Rosie offers practical recommendations for families: how to be an effective advocate, which questions to ask, and how to keep a loved one safe in the hospital.
If You’d Only Listen is not just a memoir-it’s a survival guide for anyone who may one day find themselves fighting for a loved one’s life. Rosie’s courage, resilience, and unwavering love remind us that, even in the darkest hours, ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.
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Company Name: Rosie Sorenson
Contact Person: Rosie Sorenson
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City: San Francisco
State: CA
Country: United States
Website: www.rosiesorenson.com