Overview

The unforgettable inspiring memoir of one extraordinary doctor who is saving lives in a most unconventional way, Ask Me Why I Hurt is the touching and revealing first-person account of the remarkable work of Dr. Randy Christensen. Trained as a pediatrician, he works not in a typical hospital setting but, rather, in a 38-foot Winnebago that has been refitted as a doctor's office on wheels. His patients are the city's homeless adolescents and children. In the shadow of one affluent American city, Dr. Christensen has dedicated his life to caring for society's throwaway kids--the often-abused, unloved children who live on the streets without access to proper health care, all the while fending off constant threats from thugs, gangs, pimps, and other predators. With the Winnebago as his moveable medical center, Christensen and his team travel around the outskirts of Phoenix, attending to the children and teens who need him most. With tenderness and humor, Dr. Christensen chronicles everything from the struggles of the van's early beginnings, to the support system it became for the kids, and the ultimate recognition it has achieved over the years. Along with his immense professional challenges, he also describes the trials and joys he faces while raising a growing family with his wife Amy. By turns poignant, heartbreaking, and charming, Dr. Christensen's story is a gripping and rich memoir of his work and family, one of those rare books that stays with you long after it ends.

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Reviews

"Refreshingly free of moralistic lectures about the collective failure of the American health-care system, Christensen's book is a wry, sincere story that makes the need for change inescapably obvious.-- ""Kirkus"" ""[An] alternately heartwarming and heartrending memoir."" -- ""Booklist"" ""Not just inspiration but a wake-up call for our entire health system."" -- ""Library Journal"" ""Proof positive that there are still heroes among us. These doctors, nurses and social workers labor tirelessly to look after some of our most vulnerable patients--homeless children. In this sensitive and moving portrayal of caring for those most in need, Christensen shows us that it is still possible to make a difference in the world, one patient at a time."" -- ""Lisa Sanders, MD, author of the New York Times bestseller Every Patient Tells A Story"" ""Refreshingly free of moralistic lectures about the collective failure of the American health-care system, Christensen's book is a wry, sincere story that makes the need for change inescapably obvious."" -- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""With just the right blend of personal history, patient anecdotes, and relevant suggestions for health care improvement, Christensen's memoir is an uplifting yet sobering read."" -- ""Publishers Weekly"""

Author Information

Randy Christensen, M.D., is a staff physician at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Since 2000, he has been the medical director of Crews'n Healthmobile, a mobile medical clinic that provides primary and comprehensive medical care to homeless children. Dr. Christensen has been the recipient of several awards for his work, including the CNN Heroes Award and People Magazine's Heroes Among Us. Randy lives in Phoenix with his wife, Amy, also a pediatrician, and their three children. Randy Christensen, M.D., is a staff physician at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Since 2000, he has been the medical director of Crews'n Healthmobile, a mobile medical clinic that provides primary and comprehensive medical care to homeless children. Dr. Christensen has been the recipient of several awards for his work, including the CNN Heroes Award and People Magazine's Heroes Among Us. Randy lives in Phoenix with his wife, Amy, also a pediatrician, and their three children. Rene Denfeld is an award-winning author, journalist, and licensed private investigator. She is the author of several fiction and nonfiction books, and The Enchanted received the Prix du Premier Roman Étranger in France. Tje New York Times named her a 2017 hero of the year for her justice work. Her work on cognitively impaired parents for the New York Times Magazine is considered seminal in the field. She has written for many esteemed publications, including the New York Times Magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Oregonian. Rene Denfeld is an award-winning author, journalist, and licensed private investigator. She is the author of several fiction and nonfiction books, and The Enchanted received the Prix du Premier Roman Étranger in France. Tje New York Times named her a 2017 hero of the year for her justice work. Her work on cognitively impaired parents for the New York Times Magazine is considered seminal in the field. She has written for many esteemed publications, including the New York Times Magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Oregonian. Johnny Heller, winner of numerous Earphones and Audie Awards, was named a ""Golden Voice"" by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has been a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award winner from 2008 through 2013 and he has been named a top voice of 2008 and 2009 and selected as one of the Top 50 Narrators of the Twentieth Century by AudioFile magazine.

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