Ask Me Why I Hurt

The Kids Nobody Wants and the Doctor Who Heals Them

By: Randy Christensen M.D., Rene Denfeld

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

The unforgettable, inspiring memoir of one extraordinary doctor who is saving lives in a most unconventional way, Ask Me Why I Hurt is the touching and revealing first-person account of the remarkable work of Dr. Randy Christensen. Trained as a pediatrician, he works not in a typical hospital setting but, rather, in a 38-foot Winnebago that has been refitted as a doctor's office on wheels. His patients are the city's homeless adolescents and children.

In the shadow of one affluent American city, Dr. Christensen has dedicated his life to caring for society's throwaway kids - the often-abused, unloved children who live on the streets without access to proper health care, all the while fending off constant threats from thugs, gangs, pimps, and other predators.

With the Winnebago as his moveable medical center, Christensen and his team travel around the outskirts of Phoenix, attending to the children and teens who need him most. With tenderness and humor, Dr. Christensen chronicles everything from the struggles of the van's early beginnings, to the support system it became for the kids, and the ultimate recognition it has achieved over the years. Along with his immense professional challenges, he also describes the trials and joys he faces while raising a growing family with his wife, Amy. By turns poignant, heartbreaking, and charming, Dr. Christensen's story is a gripping and rich memoir of his work and family, one of those rare books that stays with you long after it ends.

©2011 Randy Christensen, M.D. (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Refreshingly free of moralistic lectures about the collective failure of the American health-care system, Christensen's book is a wry, sincere story that makes the need for change inescapably obvious." ( Kirkus)

Must read. Mind blowing.

This book is fascinating. It takes you into an amazing world and allows you to share in the experience of these remarkable people.

The reality of our streets

The well-told stories of a life spent serving the forgotten teens in his community. Highly recommended not only for it's informative value but also as a source of inspiration for anyone who wants to take action in their own town.