The Light in the Window: Hope Beyond the Horizon

When Harriett, the author's wife, is stricken by a life-threatening case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome during the COVID-19 era, their world is turned upside down. What begins as a trip to a walk-in clinic soon spirals into a nightmare of paralysis, respiratory failure, and a harrowing ICU stay. The author bears witness to each moment—becoming her patient advocate in the ICU and sending daily reports to family and friends.
After two weeks on a ventilator, Harriett reaches a critical turning point with a tracheostomy. She makes rapid progress and is transferred to a long-term acute care hospital. But due to strict COVID-19 restrictions, the author is unable to visit, forced to navigate his own deep isolation while continuing to advocate for her from a distance.
Through grit and perseverance, Harriett regains her ability to walk, culminating in a triumphant hike up Mount Monadnock—a site rich in family history—alongside her children and grandchildren. Doctors call her progress miraculous.
But this is more than a story of survival. It is a journey of faith, love, and transformation. As the author faces his darkest days, he reflects on a lifelong spiritual search—his forays into Zen Buddhism and other Eastern traditions, his eventual embrace of Christianity, and his ongoing practice of Contemplative Prayer.
Drawing from archived text messages, hospital records, and deeply personal reflections, The Light in the Window weaves together a detailed medical account, a love story, and a testament to the profound support of friends. It is also a tribute to the dedication of medical practitioners and the power of prayer.
Dramatic and poignant, this memoir reminds us that even in life's darkest moments, light can be found.

Jonathan Severance is a retired professional who has turned his focus to storytelling, drawing on a long career in writing and communication. His memoir, "The Light in the Window: Hope Beyond the Horizon," blends the discipline of a seasoned communicator with the raw emotions of witnessing his wife's resilience in the face of crisis.
At Dell Technologies, Jonathan facilitated content creation with subject matter experts, exercised final editorial control, and authorized worldwide publication of over 100 high-stakes certification exams. He also edited more than 500 unique assessments, bringing clarity and precision to complex technical material.
At International Data Corporation (IDC), he authored and co-authored several market research reports as a quantitative research analyst.
Earlier in his career, as a technical writer for GenRad, Inc., he received the prestigious STC International Award for Excellence in Technical Publications for his work, "Meeting the Challenge of Boundary Scan."
Jonathan holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MBA from Babson College's F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. He lives with his wife in central Massachusetts.