“After her boyfriend fell from a fourth-story balcony in January 2013, AJC health care reporter Misty Williams was thrust into the role of caregiver. Williams’ Personal Journey, “Hard Fall,” is the story of their long road to recovery. She lays bare in heart-wrenching detail the couple’s challenges after her now-fiance, Jason Massad, broke both ankles, smashed his heel and fractured his skull, requiring emergency brain surgery and months of rehabilitation. He also fractured his C1 and C2 vertebrae — an injury that frequently results in death or paralysis. Williams details the struggles of being a caregiver — a role more than 44 million Americans take on in any given year. Like Williams, 60 percent of them also have regular jobs, and the majority are women. Finding herself in the unique position of being a health care reporter whose personal life collides with a complex and often frustrating health care system, Williams shares her experience trying to navigate that system and the ramifications of what it means to take on the responsibility of caring for a loved one.”
