25 Meters to God
By Tad Weiss
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA – September 30, 2022 – When Tad Weiss received a phone call on June 5, 2014, informing him that his daughter, Maggie, had been hit by a bus while out on a run in Seville, Spain, his life would never be the same.
In his new book, 25 Meters to God, Weiss shares what would become a seven-year journey of healing and spiritual reawakening. While Maggie struggled—first to survive, then to heal from multiple injuries, including traumatic brain injuries in two places—Tad and his wife, Wendy, did the only thing that brought them comfort—they prayed. They also established a page for Maggie on CaringBridge*, a website designed to allow people facing various medical conditions to communicate with family and friends. Through daily journaling on this site, Tad found himself sharing the insights God revealed to him through the process of Maggie’s recovery.
While Maggie had received multiple injuries, including seven broken ribs and a badly shattered pelvis on both sides, the most challenging was the blow to her brain when she slammed into the windshield of the bus. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, car accidents are one of the most common causes for traumatic brain injury.** They state that, fortunately, only about 10 to 20 percent of brain injuries will require some type of invasive operation. In Maggie’s case, the doctors kept her sedated for several days while they monitored the swelling and pressure on her brain. It was a slow process, and not without its challenges, but Maggie’s brain healed with the benefit of time and a substantial amount of prayer.
For her dad, caring for Maggie throughout her recovery brought him face-to-face with the question people often ask in this type of situation: Why does God allow things like this to happen? At this critical juncture, there are generally two conclusions to be drawn. Either the traumatic event is God’s way of punishing us, or His attempt to lovingly get our attention. In Tad’s case, he saw it as an opportunity to not only deepen his own relationship with God, but to share his insights with others.
“I was raised in a Christian home and have known Jesus all my life,” the author states. “I surrendered my life to Christ in 1992 at the age of thirty. I study the Bible and try to live my life like Jesus, but I am a sinner in need of a Savior. The words I’ve written are inspired by God; I’m trying to be obedient and relay what He has put in front of me. I’ve had a front row seat to witness a miracle and I want to tell others about our amazing God!”
25 Meters to God is not just the story of a young woman’s recovery from traumatic brain injury. It’s also about a community of believers coming together in prayer. What might have been a tragedy emerges as a story of hope and encouragement.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A lifelong mid-westerner, Tad Weiss went to college in Minnesota and has lived there ever since. He works as a Certified Financial Planner and is the president of Modus Advisors LLC, a registered investment advisory firm. He has served on the board of directors for Feed My Starving Children and was their chairman from 2011 to 2014. His hobbies are centered around sports, skiing, golf, and fitness, with an occasional triathlon when the mood strikes. Tad resides in Victoria, Minnesota, with his wife, Wendy, and their dog, Corby. Their daughter, Maggie, and son-in-law, Paul, live nearby, and their son, Peter, lives in Denver.
For review copies and media interviews, contact:
Tad Weiss
E-mail: tad@25meters.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tad.weiss/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tad.weiss.1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tad-weiss-70449012
Website: www.25meters.com
Suggested Interview Questions:
- What makes your book unique among stories of recovery from a brain injury?
- For readers who don’t know Jesus and find themselves struggling with a personal trauma, how will 25 Meters to God encourage and help them?
- Was it a difficult decision to open up about your experiences in such a personal way?
- Are there any details in the book that you had forgotten until you began the process of writing your story?
- Are there any stories that you altered or left out altogether, either to protect yourself or someone else?
- What did you learn about yourself through the process of writing this book?
- What makes your book unique among those that cover the power of prayer in healing?
- Clearly, prayer has been vital to you, not only throughout Maggie’s recovery, but in your life since. What do you hope your readers will learn about the power of prayer, both for themselves and for others?
- In what ways is your daughter’s life different than it would have been, had the accident never happened?
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