After five major concussions, NFL tight-end Ben Utecht of the Indianapolis Colts is losing his memories. This is his powerful and emotional love letter to his wife and daughters-whom he someday may not recognize-and an inspiring message for all to live every moment fully.At the age of thirty-four, Ben Utecht has accumulated a vast treasure of memories: tossing a football in the yard with his father, meeting his wife with whom he'd build a loving partnership and bring four beautiful daughters into the world, writing and performing music, catching touchdown passes from quarterback Peyton Manning, and playing a Super Bowl Championship watched by ninety-three million people. But the game he has built his living on, the game he fell in love with as a child, is taking its toll in the most devastating way. After at least five concussions-and an untold number of micro-concussions-Ben is suffering from multiple traumatic brain injuries that have erased his important memories. Knowing that his wife and daughters could someday be beyond his reach and desperate for them to understand how much he loves them, he penned a secret letter for them to read one day after his essential self is gone. Counting the Days While My Mind Slips Away chronicles his remarkable journey from his early days throwing a football back and forth with his father in Minnesota to speaking about traumatic brain injury before Congress, and how his faith keeps him strong and grounded as he waits for a difficult future. Ben recounts the experiences that have shaped his life and imparts the lessons he's learned along the way. Emotionally powerful, inspiring, and uplifting, Ben's story will captivate and encourage you to make the most of every day and treasure all of your memories.
