'There are two ways to open a child's head. The pretty way and the quick way. Usually I shave the hair, use a scalpel to nick the skin then apply an electro-cautery device to burn down to bone level. It's a slow, precise method and it leaves almost no scarring. But it takes time. Time, the interminable single note of the heart monitor reminds me, I don't have.'
___________

Jay Jayamohan makes life and death decisions on a daily basis. That's because he's a Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon in a busy Oxford hospital. Every day, parents put all their faith in him to make their sick children well again. Though he is proud of his successes, he is haunted by every failure. Jayamohan is known not only for his skill in surgery but also his human touch: to him, no patient is only a number.

In this gripping and sometimes heartrending book, Jayamohan - who has featured in two highly acclaimed BBC fly-on-the-wall series following the work of neurosurgeons - brings the highs and lows of the operating theatre into vivid life. Beginning with his struggles as an Asian growing up in 1970s Britain, he chronicles his early days as a medical student and spans decades of extraordinary activity, drawing on case studies from various aspects of his career: not all of which have happy endings. Jayamohan describes how he found the strength to keep going despite terrible setbacks: no matter how many times he is knocked down, he always gets up again to face the next challenge.

Everything That Makes Us Human is a pacy, gripping account of Jayamohan's life and work. He pulls no punches and owns his mistakes, but the complete picture is one of a man driven to save as many lives as possible.

Jay Jayamohan makes life and death decisions on a daily basis. That's because he's a Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon in a busy Oxford hospital. This is his poignant, heart-breaking, funny, harrowing and unflinchingly human memoir.

About the Author
Mr Jay Jayamohan BSc, MBBS (London), FRCS (Surgical Neurology) is a Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Oxford. He has been the star of two highly acclaimed BBC fly-on-the-wall series following the work of neurosurgeons. His work breaks down into three primary areas: Paediatric Neurosurgery - tackling tumours and congenital problems in children; Craniofacial Reconstruction - working with a plastic surgeon to give babies or victims of accidents a shot at a normal life; Expert Witness - employed by the courts to help solve head related crimes or provide the case for the defence.

Reviews
An inspirational book written by a truly remarkable man * Dr Amanda Brown, author of The Prison Doctor *
It takes a truly remarkable person to hold their nerve while taking a scalpel to a child's brain. Yet for Jay Jayamohan, doing the unthinkable is everyday work. He brings the high-stakes world of paediatric neurosurgery vividly and unforgettably to life. * Rachel Clarke, Author of Your Life in My Hands *
Extraordinary * The Times *
Compelling * Daily Mail *
Gripping * Mail on Sunday *



Book Information
ISBN 9781789291407
Author Jay Jayamohan
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Michael O'Mara Books Ltd
Publisher Michael O'Mara Books Ltd
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 135mm * 24mm