Universal Life Lessons: From My Brilliant Blue Bohemian Butterfly by Susan Ball is a true story of one woman’s fight to survive against the odds. Anna was born with Ring 22 Chromosome Abnormality in 1985, a condition that was so rare it affected just 30 people in the whole world. She wasn’t expected to survive long but, against all the odds, she defied everything and lived until she was 29, long past her life expectancy. Along the way, she showed true courage and true determination, and her real purpose in her all too short life was to make a difference and to bring peace and love to a world in turmoil. Universal Life lessons is written by Anna’s mother, a woman who stood by her daughter through everything. She tells Anna’s story, she tells how Anna wanted nothing more than for people to realize that happiness and a good life was there for taking. She teaches us, through 85 life lessons from her daughter, that life is there to be lived to the fullest.

Universal Life Lessons: From My Brilliant Blue Bohemian Butterfly by Susan Ball was a truly inspiring read. The story of one woman who overcame the odds and survived much longer than she should have done is a real lesson to us all, a lesson that you can achieve what you want to. Anna’s determination, grit, and her mother’s moving account of her short life is a real inspiration. Susan brings Anna back to life once more for everyone to experience in the way that she writes her account. Every word is filled with love and pride and it comes across so clearly. I enjoyed this book very much and I thank Susan Ball for taking the time to share her daughter’s lessons with us.

Universal Life Lessons: From My Beautiful Brilliant Blue Bohemian Butterfly is a non-fiction self-help/memoir written by Susan Ball. It’s the story of her second daughter, Anna Rose Paas, who was born with Ring 22 Chromosome Abnormality, a rare condition. Anna would remain a child for her entire life, and her life expectancy was not, according to the literature on people born with this condition, predicted to be a long one. Ball knew something was wrong when Anna was about to turn two and exhibited no eye contact and had weak and floppy muscles. When the geneticist told her that Anna would be able to neither walk nor talk, and recommended that she be put in a home, Ball decided to do what she could to help Anna live a full and happy life. Anna thrived under her mother’s care, and the two developed a wide support base for her. Anna remained strong and fit until her mid-twenties, at which point a series of debilitating ailments eventually proved too much for her body. Ball weaves her and Anna’s stories into a series of 85 Universal Life Lessons, which she also includes as an appendix. There’s also a glossary of medical terms and a comprehensive list of resources.

Susan Ball’s inspirational self-help/memoir, Universal Life Lessons: From My Beautiful Brilliant Blue Bohemian Butterfly, is a moving and powerful tribute to her daughter. As I read her story, Anna evolved from a withdrawn and internalized infant into a charming, vivacious and self-assured young woman, and her metamorphosis was magical and thrilling to see. Ball’s writing style is perfectly suited for this wonderful story, and I finished Universal Life Lessons feeling as though I had come to know Anna myself. Ball’s stories and anecdotes about her daughter and their adventures are marvelous and filled with images that make their story come to life. I think my favorite parts are when Anna learns to use a trampoline, and then, later, learns to swim and becomes a prodigious and strong swimmer. Then there are those images of her power-walking with her mother and friends. Universal Life Lessons: From My Beautiful Brilliant Blue Bohemian Butterfly answers the question: what if I try to make this work? And it does so magnificently. It’s most highly recommended.

A moving story of Anna Rose Paas, who was born with Ring 22 Chromosome Abnormality, which meant she was a child in her cognitive development. Though only 29 when she passed away, she spent a lifetime overcoming challenges and disabilities. This is Anna’s unusual story, as told by her equalities advocate, and the person who knew her better than any doctor, her mother Susan Ball. Along the journey, Anna touched a lot of hearts and left a legacy of life lessons — the greatest one being that a mother should trust her instincts. A mother knows her child and their general behavior better than anyone else, and if the mother feels that something is not right, she should listen to her instincts. Throughout her short, but challenged life, Anna spread her wings and shared her magic as she fluttered about touching people’s hearts like a butterfly. And since blue was Anna’s favorite color, she is compared to a brilliant blue Bohemian butterfly.

Universal Life Lessons From my Brilliant Blue Bohemian Butterfly by Susan Ball is a wonderful story and inspiration to other people faced with challenges, or those of us who just need a better understanding. Author Susan Ball presents 85 universal life lessons that she has learned from raising a child with developmental challenges, and how society has created some of those limitations. The lessons are woven throughout the touching story of Anna and how she could amuse people in a way that only Anna could. Lesson 25: A stimulating environment increases learning and developmental potential is a practical lesson for all of us. Universal Life Lessons From my Brilliant Blue Bohemian Butterfly is a reminder that we are all the same — but different. Anna’s story will awaken and enlighten you.