"Beyond the Eight-Foot World", Book I of The Albert Plevier Trilogy, is the true, horrifying, inspirational story of Albert Plevier, a young man who thought he had left the hardest parts of his life behind him on the streets of Paterson NJ as a fatherless little boy, but finds everything he had worked so hard for, including the hope for a future, in mortal jeopardy when his life changed forever in an instant. As a twenty-four-year-old husband, father, and chemical engineer, Albert stood frozen in shock, disbelief, and fear, ...
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"Beyond the Eight-Foot World", Book I of The Albert Plevier Trilogy, is the true, horrifying, inspirational story of Albert Plevier, a young man who thought he had left the hardest parts of his life behind him on the streets of Paterson NJ as a fatherless little boy, but finds everything he had worked so hard for, including the hope for a future, in mortal jeopardy when his life changed forever in an instant. As a twenty-four-year-old husband, father, and chemical engineer, Albert stood frozen in shock, disbelief, and fear, as concentrated sodium hydroxide spun counter-clockwise toward his unprotected face and upper body. Then it hit. Forcefully propelled by a gas-powered motor, hundreds of gallons of hot, caustic, chemical blasted him backward, pinned him between a chemical storage drum and a pipe vise, and began to dissolve the man whose job description required him to dissolve it. Burning alive and blinded, he crawled backward through the onslaught to a place of safety behind its source.That pivotal moment, on October 1, 1974, changed not only Albert's life but that of his wife Elaine. The Albert Plevier Trilogy chronicles the love story that strengthened through perseverance, dignity, and humor during the darkest days of their marriage. During Albert's fight to live, he experienced a near-death moment in heaven while being brought back to life during the first twenty-four hours after the accident. In heaven, Albert is told he must return to finish the work he still had to do, but it is his choice. He chooses to return to his life despite the savage pain he knew he would have to endure, knowing the love he shared with Elaine would carry them both. Together they endured the months of recovery as he fought his way past the physicality of his situation to reclaim what was his and get to the other side of their new life. Their marriage evolved into two-time frames of before and after the accident. The division was not a black demarcation line between freedom and martyrdom, but instead was an event they accepted without resignation. Their marital journey had begun three years earlier with the simplicity of a promise to love, enjoy each other, have fun, and grow together as a family. The young couple decides that they will continue the trajectory they chose for their family when they married, regardless of the circumstances they were now immersed in. Instead, they made necessary adaptations within the confines of the two-foot reach to the left, right, front, and back of Albert's sightless world, without compromise to the larger, planned, trajectory. To confirm their commitment, the couple adds another son giving Albert Jr. the brother they always wanted to for him. As Albert heals and works toward a temporary return of his sight, the young couple fights a continuous legal maze that involves Worker's Compensation, financial losses, and the inevitable liability lawsuit. The multiple battles continue to strengthen their resolve and love for each other. When Albert is about to be wheeled into surgery for the corneal transplant for the temporary return of sight in his right eye, the booms and rockets for the country's bicentennial burst outside the hospital walls. Albert refuses to take off his wedding band during a normal procedure for jewelry removal. The nurses concede to his stubbornness and the larger U.S.A. celebration pales in comparison to the celebration of life Elaine and Albert learned to appreciate beyond the confines the eight-foot-world that in the future they know may be thrust upon them again.
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