Flying Backwards chronicles Jon's struggle with a developing mental illness; the ignorance, bias, and prejudice of virtually every adult in his life; the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his parents relentless battle to care for him at home and their growing and maturing faith to do so. Our family's story is about living with a serious mental illness which was eventually diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder, which is a combination of schizophrenia and depression. We walked through the trails and trauma of dealing with an overwhelming illness that provoked fear in those who could not see beyond the disease to the true personality of a beloved son. The healing I speak of in this book exists on two plains and many deepening levels. Jon's healing occurred throughout his lifetime until he could accept and move beyond his mental illness into the loving arms of a merciful God. Healing for all those who loved Jon began at his conception and matured with every crisis and need in his life. It developed to a place of total trust in the Lord the strength of which could endure and even thrive after Jon's physical death. Our story begins, not at that place where a cruel fate scripted a tragic outcome, but where God's love began a journey of purpose and hope impacting many lives for His glory.