The story of Berdien Bies from Heerenveen has been published as a book

The fact that people with disabilities are not genderless beings at all is shown in the newly published book “Help … Ik léf!” van Berdien Bies from Heerenveen, who himself suffers from a progressive muscle disease. It invites the reader to see the world through the eyes of Karen, who will not allow her serious muscle disease to stop her from living her life the way she wants: from social interactions to sexual desires. A well-written, honest, and candid story that truly made Boekscout Publishing decide to publish it.

The subtitle is “Desires and Fantasies of a Young Lady in a Wheelchair”. Thus, nothing is wrongly said! The main character Karen lives with a serious muscle disease and shows how to look at life through the eyes of a person with a serious disability. Nothing can stop her. She sees her life as a challenge and takes you into her world where she manages to spend the days with a sense of humor. Desire for physical and mental satisfaction. She thinks of the perfect man, the one who takes charge, grabs the strings and makes her constantly feel alive, sometimes even through literal pain. Being social within this community that she often yearns for and limited makes this sometimes impossible. However, she has always managed to get back on top because even severe setbacks simply don’t stop her, as she calls them, from staying firmly on her feet. Her body may not be working optimally, but her mind sometimes works overtime. Her desires for pure love face many fears, but she eventually manages to embrace this pure love with many setbacks. The reader is brilliantly taken to experience dependency and independence, and the exciting possibilities within her dangerous progressive congenital muscular disease.

Think of the possibilities

Berdien Bies (1986) suffers from a serious progressive muscle disease and receives constant assistance in her apartment in Heerenveen. I’m in a wheelchair all day and need help with just about everything. Eating, washing, getting dressed, going to the bathroom…you name it. That doesn’t stop her from making the most out of life though! My head is full of ideas and I’m very creative. I used to draw a lot, but unfortunately this is no longer possible due to a muscle disease. Yet she is still considering the possibilities. In this way she can express her creativity in writing on the computer. Eight years ago, she started writing her “story” and for years it was on her bucket list that she wanted to publish a book. With “Help… I’m alive” this became a reality. The author is excited: ‘I think it’s great that this publisher has dared to present my story, this topic in book form and include it in their box. This says something…”

The edition contains 228 pages and is available for €21.50 in bookshops and can be ordered via Bol.com