SUMMER IN THE WAITING ROOM: FAITH, HOPE, LOVE
SUMMER IN THE WAITING ROOM: FAITH, HOPE, LOVE
Interview with Eddie Garcia
Q: Could you please introduce yourself?
A: My name is Eddie Garcia—born and raised in East San José. I’m 58 years old and married to Sandra Garcia. We have two daughters, Marisa and Erica. I graduated from James Lick High School and San José State University.
From there, I went to work in the corporate world, spending several years at Comcast where I was a government affairs person. I left Comcast as a VP, and I do a lot of community stuff. I also founded and created the Latino Leadership Alliance, which is an amazing organization that strengthens skills for emerging Latino and Latina leaders in the community.
“...born and raised in East San José.”
Q: Can you tell us a bit more about your book and what inspired you to write and share your story?
A: Summer in the Waiting Room: Faith, Hope, Love is my memoir. In 2010, I had a life-changing heart attack. After spending the summer in the ICU on life support, a miraculous recovery taught me that there is always hope no matter how difficult life becomes.
The book is cut into 3 parts, beginning with growing up on the East Side with all the challenges, high points, and everything that happened to me as a young kid and a young man. Then, I share part of the journey right as I’m riding the wave after becoming “successful.” During this time, I had a really massive heart attack that almost knocked me out. It ended up being worse because while in the ICU, my lungs stopped working, and I had to be put on life support. I spent the summer on life support in the ICU to make sure my lungs could get healthy. They put me into a deep sleep, so I was in a medically induced coma, and they relaxed my muscles so I wouldn’t move, so my lungs could rest.
“I spent the summer on life support in the ICU to make sure my lungs could get healthy. ”
The third part of the book talks about the lessons I learned. I went on this big spiritual journey. . . . I didn’t really understand the power of faith until this happened to me. Even doctors, who are scientists, always tell you, “Here’s the science of everything”; but when I came out of all this, and I actually walked out of the hospital, I asked the doctor what they did. One doctor shared, “Hey, I did everything I was supposed to do, but something bigger is at play here.”
So it really put me on this journey to figure out what’s this bigger thing. This is why the book is called Summer in the Waiting Room. My Latino family did everything but barbecue in the waiting room. They took it over! I interviewed all of them and the doctors and put all the information together to tell this part of the story because throughout the whole end part of the story, I’m in a coma, so I wasn’t even there!
“I went on this big spiritual journey. . . . I didn’t really understand the power of faith until this happened to me.”