My heart goes out to any family that loses a child.....I cannot imagine how that would feel. But I have had friends that have experienced this and have read other stories in this vein as well. The main issue I have with this particular one is the dad's "voice". Is ANY child as brilliant, talented, PERFECT as his child was? I actually found myself feeling irritated with the narration. I think I would have thought this a much better book if he hadn't put his son on such a pedestal. Granted, his elder son was the focus of the book, but it certainly seemed that he and his son had formed their own little universe, leaving his other two children and (to a lesser extent) his wife on the outside of it. And while I appreciate a parent going to any lengths to help a sick child, his condescending attitude towards all in the medical profession left me scratching my head a bit and wondering if all doctors are really as incompetent as he portrayed them and if his expectations were slightly out of line (like, doctors aren't allowed to take any time off - they should always be available to him 24/7?) On the flip side, his legitimately bad experiences with several doctors may have understandably affected his attitude towards all in the profession.
Anyway - I think this could have been a better book with a different narrator.