Mitt Romney's wife Ann is gearing up for a whirlwind campaign to promote a new memoir that focuses on her brave struggle with multiple sclerosis.
"In This Together," published by Thomas Dunne, will hit bookstores across the country next Tuesday.
The memoir begins with the Romneys falling in love in their late teens, marrying and beginning a family that would be blessed with five healthy sons and financial security thanks to Mitt's business acumen.
Then, in 1998, Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which there were no therapies or treatments for at the time.
"As long as it isn't fatal, we're fine. If you have to be in a wheelchair, I'll be right there to push it," Mitt, the former governor of Massachusetts and two-time presidential candidate, told his wife.
"But I'll be the one in the wheelchair." Ann says she thought to herself as she and her husband began the most frightening and humbling experience of their lives.
In the book, Ann Romney reflects on her diagnosis and recovery, her sources of her faith, and tells the stories of others who overcame adversity and inspired her to keep going.
"A lot of people talk about a transformation that happens when life throws you a curve ball, and the big one in my life was my MS diagnosis," she said.
"With all the blessings I've had, MS has been my greatest teacher: It has taught me about faith, compassion, and serving others.
"I've met many people along the way who've shared advice and demonstrated enormous resilience in the face of challenges; their stories gave me strength. In sharing my story, I want to give others hope as I've been given hope on this journey."
Ann, now a grandmother of 23, works closely with a Brigham and Women's Hospital facility in Boston that is named after her — The Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases.
Its advisory board members include the Romneys; Chelsea Clinton's husband, Marc Mezvinsky; Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts; and TV stars Montel Williams and Meredith Vieira.
Ann is the author of two other books,
"The Romney Family Table: Sharing Home-Cooked Recipes & Favorite Traditions" and
"Whatever You Choose to Be: 8 Tips for the Road Ahead," both published by Shadow Mountain.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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