Robin Modlilin held a discussion session regarding her book, “Love, Courage, and Miracles” during her event at Art on Main in Murphys on June 13. Lance Armstrong/Calaveras Enterprsie
Murphys resident Robin Modlin has authored her first book, “Love, Courage, and Miracles: A Mother’s Journey and Her Daughter’s Story Living with Cystic Fibrosis and a Lung Transplant.”
Modlin’s first event – an invitation-only gathering with a small group – was held at the Art on Main art gallery in Murphys on Thursday, June 13.
At that event, Modlin expressed gratitude to attendees who supported her new endeavor of being an author and learned about the story of her family and her “amazing daughter.”
“The support just feels wonderful,” she told the Enterprise at her June 13 event.
During that event, Modlin mentioned to this paper that she was compelled to write her book, which was published on May 21.
“I couldn’t stop; I was totally obsessed,” she said. “And I do believe there’s going to be a second (book), and I don’t know what it’s going to be yet.”
As the subtitle of her book notes, Modlin is the mother of a daughter who has cystic fibrosis and survived a lung transplant.
Cystic fibrosis, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, is “an inherited life-threatening disease that affects many organs (and) causes changes in the electrolyte transport system.”
People with cystic fibrosis have problems with the glands that make sweat and mucus, and cystic fibrosis makes mucus thicker, the same summary of this disease notes.
Johns Hopkins Medicine additionally mentioned that symptoms begin in childhood, and that, on average, people with cystic fibrosis live into their mid to late 30s.
However, with new treatments, life expectancy of those who have cystic fibrosis is increasing. Anna will turn 43 next month, and she underwent her lung transplant 13 years ago.
Among those in attendance at Modlin’s June 13 event was Murphys resident Sue Landgraf, who assisted Modlin with her book and has a 40-year-old daughter with cystic fibrosis. Her daughter also had a lung transplant, as well as a liver transplant, and is currently a cancer patient.
Landgraf, who formerly served as the executive director of the Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute, told the Enterprise that she read many drafts of Modlin’s book and further helped and supported her in her project to have her book published.
“It was a joy to (assist with the book), and I’ve read it like a million times,” she said. “(The book is) really a pathway for people, not just with cystic fibrosis, but any adversity in their life. They can read this book, be inspired and find their own way to deal with whatever life throws at them.”
Also in attendance at the June 13 event were Modlin’s husband, Doug, and Sunil Mehrotra, who were co-directors of the “Albert Michelson: Illuminating the Universe” exhibit, which opened at the Angels Camp Museum last month.
Modlin shared more details about her book with the Enterprise on June 17.
She mentioned that the book details the life of her daughter, Anna, from her birth to her current life as a survivor.
“(The book is) about the experience of a diagnosis like cystic fibrosis,” she said. “It’s about what is cystic fibrosis, it’s about how you cope with cystic fibrosis, and having a child with a life-threatening disease. It shares some of our journey experiences, which include looking for alternative healing.”
Also woven within this story is Modlin’s own spiritual explorations, she noted.
“As a young woman, before I had a child, I was very interested in my spiritual life and my spiritual development,” she said. “And that was really important to me. And I went into a master’s program in East-West psychology, studying Eastern religions. And I was very interested in meditation and the meaning of life.”
Modlin described her book as having three main threads.
“There’s the thread of having a child with cystic fibrosis and what that all means,” she said. “There’s a thread of who Anna is, and how she conquered her story and lived and is living with this disease. And then there’s a thread of me as an individual woman, who is looking for meaning and understanding in her life. Those are the three main threads (of the story).”
Modlin’s work to create this book followed her own belief, as well as the belief of others, that Anna has a remarkable story that is worth telling.
“I really wanted to tell that story to inspire people who might be in a similar situation, or just people who are interested in inspiring people and inspiring journeys,” she said.
“Anna has a spirit of not letting (cystic fibrosis) or transplant and her attitude get in the way of her experience of life. Sometimes it does, because it’s such an intense experience and the illness can be overwhelming. And she’s gone through many periods of really intense illness, and she’s broken through.”
Modlin added that her daughter is currently experiencing a health crisis.
“She’s having a hard time right now that is due to her immune suppression and her cystic fibrosis,” she said. “(Her crisis) is not uncommon for people who are immune-suppressed and have transplants. She’s doing much better now and her issues are more related to cystic fibrosis digestive problems than they are her lung transplant.”
While Anna was waiting for her new lung in 2010, she was featured for her then-upcoming procedure in the documentary film, “The Power of Two.” Anna was able to attend some of the showings of that film.
Following Anna’s transplant, she became a very accomplished transplant athlete, Modlin noted.
“In the Transplant Games, which is a series of athletic events that happen every year, she, in 2016, won the athleteof the-year (award) for her athletic prowess, which is really quite amazing,” she said.
Modlin also recognized Anna’s courage to change and live in another country: Australia.
It was at the Transplant Games where she met her then-future husband, Australian Cary Holyoak.
They live in Australia with their daughter, Zoe, who was born with the aid of a surrogate mother. Zoe will turn 4 years old in August.
As for Anna’s pre-transplant life, she grew up in Palo Alto and was very serious about her education. She earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology at Santa Clara University.
Anna resided in Sunnyvale from about 2007 to 2017, when she moved to Australia. She lives with her family in the Melbourne area in the town of Point Cook.
Asked to describe her intended audience for her new book, Modlin noted that she was writing to the cystic fibrosis and transplant communities, as well as people who have a curiosity in learning about what it is like to live with a disease like cystic fibrosis or to wait for and receive a transplant.
“There are a number of books that have been written about that (topic),” she said. “In the recent years, (there were) a couple of books that were written by moms who lost their children before they (could) have a successful transplant. But I’m a mom, who had an adult daughter, who was able to receive a successful transplant, and I thought that should be written about and shared.”
Modlin mentioned that she is enjoying early success as an author, and that her book has thus far received 18 five-star reviews on Amazon.
Those interested in meeting Modlin in person can attend her first public event in Calaveras County at the Murphys Volunteer Library at 480 Park Lane in Murphys on Aug. 3 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The event will feature a reading by Modlin, a group discussion, and a signing by the author. Copies of her book will be for sale at this gathering.
Modlin’s book can also be purchased at Books on Main at 416 Main St. in Murphys.
To learn more about Modlin and her book, visit the website, robinmodlin.com.
