Robbery and Redemption

IN PRAISE OF "Robbery and Redemption is one of the most human and riveting books I have ever read. I simply could not put it down. It was personal, well-written, and both sobering and uplifting. I would recommend it as a heartfelt, honest, and compassionate account, much like The Last Lecture." —Dr. Bert Hayslip, Jr., Department of Psychology, University of North Texas "Robbery and Redemption is an excellent resource for patients and families and may well repair some healthcare employees and physicians who seem clueless. There aren't many books out there with this level of honesty, comfort, resource information, and instruction." —Rev. Dr. Richard B. Gilbert, Executive Director, World Pastoral Care Center, Benedictine University of Illinois and Mercy College of New York "I laughed, I cried, and I learned. This book gives the reader a renewed perspective on the importance of family, friends, sunshine, snowfall, and all the flowers in our garden. Craig Fiedler obviously had a passion for adding to human happiness and I thank him for his gift." —Dr. Stuart Robertshaw, Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse "Few experiences in life evoke the same visceral response as contemplating the challenges of doing battle with cancer. To be sure, most of us would prefer to simply not think about this ever-present and formidable adversary. Perhaps Craig Fiedler had the same attitude—that is, until the day he received news that he had lung cancer. Robbery and Redemption made me both chuckle and cry, but most importantly, it made me feel empowered relative to the need to understand and courageously fight cancer." —Dr. Richard Simpson, Department of Special Education, University of KansasCraig Fiedler wanted to be an advocate for vulnerable people. After earning his law degree he worked in legal services in Appalachia before deciding that he wanted to advocate for people with disabilities. He earned his Ph.D. in special education, then taught about and advocated for this vulnerable population until he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Now he, too, was a vulnerable person, and one of the first challenges he faced was his discovery that those who knew he had cancer perceived him primarily in terms of his disease—he had suddenly lost his identity as professor, lawyer, author, advocate, husband, and father. Craig refused to relinquish that identity, and he used his unique sense of humor and insights gained from his work with special needs people to regain some control over his life, such as his insistence that his doctors view him as a collaborator in his medical care and not as a “victim” of cancer. Craig described his medical care with an eye for detail that people familiar with cancer treatments will readily appreciate. He knew that he would lose the battle with cancer, and in this book he shares the life lessons he learned. Despite the death sentence cancer represented, he could still say: “My cancer has given me FREEDOM I never had.” He used that freedom to write this book, and all who read it will be the beneficiaries of the wisdom

Craig Fiedler, professor of special education for 23 years, earned a law degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Ph.D. in special education from the University of Kansas. His distinguished teaching and scholarship have resulted in various awards, authorship of several books, numerous book chapters and professional journal articles. Until his death in January 2009, he lived with his wife, Sharon, and two daughters, Lindsay and Jennifer, in Neenah, Wisconsin.