Rejoice in suffering, knowing that suffering leads to perseverance, and perseverance leads to character, and character leads to hope.

~Romans 5:3

Stricken with a sudden heart attack and rare lung syndrome when he was 46 years old, Eddie endured a hopeless summer clinging to life in the ICU and embarked on a fight for his life. He used the power of hope to survive and overcome a decade of living with heart failure. A successful heart transplant in 2020 inspired him to publish his memoir, Summer in the Waiting Room: Faith • Hope • Love.

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According to the Archbridge Institute, a public policy think tank, “only 56% of Americans are hopeful for the future of the U.S. in 2025.”

With personal accounts and vivid storytelling, Eddie García, a retired executive and former public official, brings to life a deeper meaning of hope for all audiences.

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Webster’s dictionary definition of hope is “to want something to happen or be true.”

During his fight to stay alive, Eddie learned about a deeper meaning of hope. It starts with rejoicing in suffering and leads to perseverance that builds character.

After a massive heart attack, Eddie’s lungs stopped working. Doctors had to medically induce him into a coma. When he woke up six weeks later, he was paralyzed. He couldn’t sit up, stand, walk, or swallow. His vocal cords fell asleep, so he couldn’t even talk! Eddie had learn how do do everything all over again!

BUT . . .Eddie rejoiced about being alive, so he focused on what he could do. With perseverance, Eddie painfully worked with physical, occupational, and speech therapists everyday. Resilience and determination strengthened his character.

Eddie had hope!