Sarah Deschamps
Journey to Japan
A Life-Saving Memoir
A Story of Compassion and Perseverance
Journey to Japan
A Life-Saving Memoir
by Sarah Deschamps
Sarah Deschamps and her husband Fred decided to move from Minnesota to Tokyo, Japan with their two-year-old daughter when she was eight-months pregnant. They dreamed of exploration and adventure. Instead, Sarah gave birth in a rundown Japanese hospital to a baby with multiple medical issues. They were thrust into a cross-cultural medical nightmare.
The book details the lengths they went to for their daughter so she could have the best chance in this world. Over the course of the narrative, and seven surgeries, they slowly watched her intricate little body got put back together until she was, finally, whole.
Journey to Japan
A Life-Saving Memoir
by Sarah Deschamps
Sarah Deschamps and her husband Fred decided to move from Minnesota to Tokyo, Japan with their two-year-old daughter when she was eight-months pregnant. They dreamed of exploration and adventure. Instead, Sarah gave birth in a rundown Japanese hospital to a baby with multiple medical issues. They were thrust into a cross-cultural medical nightmare.
The book details the lengths they went to for their daughter so she could have the best chance in this world. Over the course of the narrative, and seven surgeries, they slowly watched her intricate little body got put back together until she was, finally, whole.
The book has been resoundingly successful around the world. Readers have said over and over that they could not put the book down and stayed up early into the morning to read it because they are riveted by the memoir. It resonates with readers who have had their own tragedies, or horrors or rollercoaster rides in life. It has been successful with doctors and medical professionals. Parents have read it and identify with the plight of the writer. Travelers who love to take risks and benefit from seeing another country and understand other cultures find themselves in the story.
The book has spread around the world being purchased in six countries including all over Europe, Japan and Canada. The author has presented her book at book groups around the United States, and done book readings to audiences with over 80 attendees. The book has sold hundreds of copies in only a few weeks since publication.
Recent Reviews
I was engrossed in this mother's journey from the moment I started the book. It is an amazing testament to the power of a mother's love. My deepest admiration for the tenacity of this mother, this child and the entire family. I want to hug all of you. 🙂
I just finished reading this book and absolutely loved it. The author has done a phenomenal job with describing the story, the emotions, the challenges and the triumphs! And while the topic is serious, it also made me laugh at multiple times with good humor. Well done!
My book club read this book. Not only did we all give it 5 stars, but the discussion afterwards brought up all sorts of interesting facts about our own journeys in this life. Very well written!
I read this book in one sitting, I could not put it down. This beautiful family fought hard and saved the life of their child, facing innumerable obstacles, that would raze most of us to the ground. This book will speak to anyone in need of inspiration and the humor, humility and raw humanity make it a page turner. I highly recommend this book.
I loved this book. As a previous Tokyo expat, I was immediately transported back to our own journey. I could so relate to Sarah's observations & descriptions of life as a foreigner in Tokyo. The joys & the challenges. Reading about Sarah's family's triumph over adversity was inspiring. What an incredibly stressful, exhausting & traumatic time for little Lily and their whole family. It is so thoughtfully written & easy to read, despite the complexity of the medical situation. For anyone going through a challenging medical journey with a child, this book shows the power & unwavering strength of parental love, against the backdrop of living in a foreign land.
This is a story of high hopes and soul-crushing despair that Sarah and Fred go through as they adjust to the realities of living in a foreign environment while welcoming into the world a baby that requires urgent and extensive medical care to survive and thrive. Throughout this journey, Sarah describes her feelings with exquisite candour. She invites us to share, uncensored, the raw emotions that she experiences both towards the foreign culture in which the story unfolds (Japan) and where she is consistently reminded that she does not belong and towards her baby Lily to whom she so desperately wants to offer all the opportunities of living a full life.
Through the narration of this very personal journey, the author reminds us of the universal power of love, courage, and hope in the face of insurmountable challenges. A truly inspiring read!
The author takes us through a race against time to figure out what is wrong with her newborn and how to fix it. Her baby has a rare and complicated condition, but through perseverance, dedication and organization, she figures it out. At times tender, at times funny, at times sad and at times happy, this is a real-life story of life. How everything you thought you had can turn in an instant and you have to re-invent yourself again. This is a book of inspiration for everyone who has faced or is facing adversity and is walking an unfamiliar path.
There are memoirs about struggling to heal a very sick child, some about the rollercoaster of emotions that come from navigating life in a foreign country, but this one is a rare combination of both. The book explains how hospitals and medical care work in Japan (spoiler alert, not like in the US, especially the food). Sarah is clear eyed about her and her family's struggles. The book is peppered with pointed stories, including one that will make parents who remember their baby's public messes wince. The clear writing style ensures the reader will understand and relate to the Deschamps' family life in Japan.
Sarah Deschamps' compelling memoir details a mother's love and commitment to raising her young daughters despite daunting challenges. This book is a skillfully written page-turner with heart and masterful storytelling. I had a hard time putting it down: I kept wanting to find out the next turn in this family's one-of-a-kind story.
Sarah Deschamps
About The Author
Sarah has a master’s degree in education from Stanford University. She is an educator, a school administrator, a multimillion-dollar fundraiser, and editor for a widely-distributed medical newsletter about her daughter’s condition. Through her twenty-year career in education, she has developed relationships with cross-cultural organizations and with families all over the world. Sarah and Fred live in Minnesota, both of their daughters live nearby.
In addition to her book, she has written many short stories about her family’s experience living in Japan, and about the process of writing and trying to publish a book.
Photos taken by the Dechamps family
Playing on the beach.
Our family out seeing the beauty of the sakura cherry blossoms.
Enjoying tonkatsu, as we did in the book.
A koi pond in Japan.
Visiting Hachiko the famous Japanese dog in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Tokyo Tower in the center of the city.
The whole family.
