About Susan
Susan Brock Johnson
Susan’s writings—particularly about Ben’s life—have been shared with family and friends over the last three decades. With the encouragement of those who have been inspired by her family’s journey, and by embracing her own healing vulnerability in the writing, Susan is excited to finally share this story and her unique perspective on the lessons and legacy Ben left behind.
Susan lives half the year in Sitka, Alaska and half in the Pacific Northwest, near her two adult children and one grandson, and always near inspiring views of the calming ocean. She has been married to her husband Eric for over 40 years, and they are both currently enjoying a simple life of retirement from both careers and the full-time worry over Ben.
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Her baby boy had only a few days to live, with no hope of surviving a rare congenital heart defect that left him with only half a functioning heart. But over and over, Ben Johnson beat the odds, his life a textbook on adversity, resilience, and miraculous interventions.
In this heart-wrenching and inspirational memoir, Ben's mother, Susan, shares her own raw journey of the heart-from her son's fatal diagnosis at birth to the unexpected gift of watching him grow up. She had her own maturing to do as well, going from a miracle skeptic paralyzed with angst to believing in the possibility of living simultaneously in joy and sorrow. Susan's story begins at the end of Ben's, aboard a boat bound for the Alaskan wilderness. Through the seas of sorrow, she reflects on Ben's life and on her own, now unanchored, life.
A Good Heart offers readers a glimpse into the life of a family bombarded by medical challenges and unexplainable interventions that could be nothing but Divine. With just a meager shred of faith at times, Susan found a whole-hearted life by loosening her grip on fear of the unknowns and gazing beyond to the miracles that abound each day.
“My sorrow opened my eyes to miracles and my spirit to love. All because of God’s gift of a baby born with a messed-up heart that turned out to be a very, very good heart.”
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If you have a question for Susan, media or press inquiry, or if you just want to share your own story of how A Good Heart and Susan’s story has impacted you, click below to send her a message.
