Summary

Eben Alexander wakes up early before work at his home in Lynchburg Virginia. His wife, Holley, whom he met in 1977 and married in 1980, is sleeping beside him. He writes briefly about how they met and the early years of their marriage in which their two children, Eben IV and Bond, were born. Back in bed in the early morning, Eben is struck with a wave of pain down his spine. The pain quickly intensifies until he is virtually paralyzed by it. Thinking he will feel better soon, Eben rests in bed. When his wife checks on him she realizes that he has slipped into unconsciousness and is having a seizure. She calls 911 and Eben is brought to the emergency room.

In the emergency room, it is clear to Dr. Laura Potter that Alexander's brain is under attack and she works to figure out...