Stroud farmer’s battle revealed in new book

Ute Schlossmacher died in Brookthorpe in 2015.

Her book with sister Zambodhi Hill, Finding Connection and Meaning in the Face of Motor Neuron Disease, was written with the movement of her eyes and the assistance of others in the community.

The book takes readers on a journey through Ute’s life with MND and provides an intimate insight into the final stages of her illness.

Confronted with the challenges of locked-in-syndrome, the author sets out on a quest to make every moment count with the support of her community and healthcare professionals.

Ute (pronounced ‘Ootah’) lived at Hawkwood Centre for Future Thinking and worked at Stroud Community Agriculture and at care provider Horsfall House in Minchinhampton.

Ironically, her motivation to settle in Stroud in 2006 was focused around generating more community support for people living with a terminal illness.

Ute wrote her book with the hope that it would help family, friends, professionals and others, plus anyone who is involved in caring for patients with severe disability.

She shares her experiences from a professional point of view, a community point of view and a personal point of view.

Topics touched on in the book include whether life is worth living with an illness such as Ute’s, how important communication is, what role the community can play and how communication can be aided.

Finding Connection and Meaning in the Face of Motor Neuron Disease is available from Amazon in paperback for £17.95 and in Kindle format for 99p.

Stroud Bookshop is also running a promotion on the book, selling it here for £14.99.

The book can be purchased from Amazon via tinyurl.com/58r9ph4v

For more information about Stroud Bookshop, visit stroudbookshop.com