JJohn Duthie author of Alive and Not Kicking memoir. He is sitting in a powered wheelchair beside colourful autumn foliage in a garden.

Alive and not Kicking

Humour, Hope and Purpose When Life Changes in an Instant

A memoir by John Duthie

Expected publication: Mid 2027.
Allive and not Kicking is a memoir about the second my life changed forever.

On 11 September 2009, a falling tree branch caused a spinal cord injury that left me paralysed.

Alive and Not Kicking is the story of what happened before, during and after that moment.

It is an honest account of disability, family, faith, chronic pain, resilience, humour and the search for purpose when life takes a direction you never expected.

This is not a story about overcoming adversity.

It is a story about living with it.

Through family life, career, paralysis, institutional failures, personal growth and an evolving faith, Alive and Not Kicking explores what it actually feels like to live through sustained crisis and gradual recovery.

The book is written for anyone who has experienced helplessness, loss, disappointment, physical challenges, or a faith tested by life.

Inside Alive and not Kicking
  • A childhood shaped by adoption secrecy, bullying and feeling different
  • A career, family and life that seemed to be heading in the right direction
  • The accident that changed everything
  • Rehabilitation and the reality of paralysis
  • Chronic pain and unexpected complications
  • Family struggles, loss and forgiveness
  • A faith that developed through questions rather than answers
  • Humour, hope and purpose found in unlikely places
About the author of Alive and not Kicking

My name is John Duthie

In September 2009, a falling tree branch caused a spinal cord injury that left me paralysed.

Before the accident, I worked in information technology, was raising a young family and assumed life would continue much as planned.

Life took a very different direction.

Alive and Not Kicking tells the story of what happened next.

I live in South Australia with my cats, Spartacus and Queenie, and I’m currently preparing the memoir for publication.

Through this website, I’ll be sharing updates, stories and reflections as publication approaches.

Follow the Journey

♿ WheelchairJohn.com
Disability, accessibility and life in a wheelchair.

🌐 JohnDuthie.com
Projects, creativity, laser designs and personal interests.

📱 @WheelieJD
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Threads and more.

Spartacus and Queenie on Alive and Not Kicking website

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