A Heart That Works

A Heart That Works is a profoundly moving memoir by celebrated writer and comedian Rob Delaney. This poignant narrative begins with the life-changing moment when Rob and his family receive the devastating news: his one-year-old son Henry has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. The journey that follows delves deep into the heart of parenthood, exploring the intense struggles, unanticipated turns, and the baffling moments of hope amid an unimaginable reality.

With raw honesty, Delaney recounts the excruciating helplessness that comes when a parent cannot make their child well again. Despite the tireless efforts of nurses and doctors, and a parent's enduring hope, there are times when medical intervention is not enough. And sometimes, heartbreakingly, children die.

Rob Delaney's beautiful, bright, gloriously alive son Henry succumbed to this cruel fate. In his reflective and heartfelt memoir, Delaney lays bare the incomprehensible pain of losing his beloved child, sharing not only the sorrow but also the reasons he feels compelled to tell this story. He writes not just to ease his own grief but in the hope that others might grasp, even in a small measure, the profound and enduring love that survives such a loss.

A Heart That Works is an intimate, unflinching, and fiercely funny exploration of grief. Delaney opens up about the harrowing experience of his son's illness, the immense pain and anger that followed Henry's passing, and the unstoppable love that endures beyond death. His reflections are both deeply personal and universally relatable, offering insight into the process of navigating loss and finding purpose amid despair.

This memoir is not merely a chronicle of devastation; it is a celebration of the enduring human spirit and the connections that bind us. Rob's story is a poignant reminder of the resilience of love and the strength we can find within ourselves and each other, even in the face of unthinkable tragedy. Through this heartfelt account, Delaney offers readers a powerful testament to the enduring nature of love and the profoundly transformative experience of living through and beyond the loss of a child.