David Francisco Comes Back From the Abyss Stronger in Excellent Memoir ‘Lionheart’ – Billboard

David, your legs are on the bed.

Then why couldn't musician and author David Francisco feel them?The 23-year-old music student at the Blackbird Academy in Nashville hadwoke up in a Vanderbilt hospital bed looking up at hisparents John and Kristi Platilleroand was about to learn some very hard truths. Francisco had been hit while riding his bike by a distracted driver in afast-moving car. The helmet he was wearing saved his life, but his spinal cord had been badly injured and he was nowparalyzed from the waist down.

And so begins Lionheart,Franciscos new memoir detailing his incredible journey through intense pain, recovery, faith and romance, told with an accompanying soundtrack of original music written to accompany each chapter of the book. A good portion of Lionheart covers his recovery at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where he hadto relearn how to sit up on his own and do basic tasks we take for granted (like getting into a car). Each movement in his damaged but determined bodybecame a mental and physical puzzle that Francisco had to take apart and put back together. Success would come after hours of deliberate movement, while failure would come in seconds, his legs collapsing underneath him, bringing Francisco and his spirit back down once more.

YetLionheart is so much more than thestoryof a young man at the peak of his life learning how touse a wheelchair.Franciscos accidentcompletely changes his life in really surprising ways. His story goes viral and he meets everyone from Lenny Kravitzto Martina McBride(whose husband John McBride was at Davids bedside after the accident), gets invited to a jam session with Katy Perryand Kacey Musgraves, competes on American Idol and finally, in a full circle moment, returns to the road to participate in the David Francisco Ride For Hope on a tandem bike.

Best of all, he falls in love,with an actual Disney princess. (His wife, Kristi Platillero, is an actress at Disneyland). They get married and go on to live happily ever after.

Lionheart is well written and deeply honest (and vulnerable), detailing the path from darkness to lightin a very easy-to-read style thats partially a testament to its excellent editing and organization by editors Steven Friedlander and Meagan Allen. Lionheart is a book that could easily be read in a day, but is steeped in authenticity and emotion and will stay in your mind and heart for weeks and months to come. The passages detailing his whirlwind romance withKristi(who he met before his accident) are incredibly sweet and sensual and familiar to anyone who's been in a long distance relationship. One of the best songs from Lionheart, "FaceTime Lover," includes a rap verse from artist Swoopeand details the moments they weren't "technically dating" but were "intentionally, exclusively getting to know each other."

"In my mind, however," Francisco writes, "I already knew Iwanted to marry Kristi."

Theres also a darkerside of Lionheart that describes life in physical pain and the minds proclivity for hopelessness and pity. Francisco is a Christian and his spirituality shapes much of his outlook:his Facebook proudly proclaims "I believe in a God who redeems." He also deeply cares about those who are watching him suffer and even when he gets upset with his loved ones, he finds a way to extract deeper meaning from the experience and give great advice.

In the second chapter of Lionheart, Francisco talks about his friends urge to tell him everything will be okay only to be remindedthat my friends had no idea what I was actually going through because no one knew if I would recover.

One time he got angry at his parents insistence he would get better and yelled at them, I might not get better! and broke down, weeping. Heneeded less words, more hugs." The episode is similar to one often shared by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. In that story,a woman delivering twins faced severe complications at birth and the second twin was born with the congenital disorder. Instead of sympathy or contrived hope, she would tell people, Just say hello. Just an acknowledgement and friendly greeting. That's all her family really needed.

Sometimes people just need to know that youre there and with them -- and that is what Ineeded, Francisco writes. I still need people when Iget down. You can be tempted to offer words that might sound encouraging but kind intentions can do more damage than good, he writes. A simple embrace can change a heart.

To learn more about David Franciscos story and to order a copy of Lionheart and hear music from the accompanying album, visit davidfranciscomusic.com.

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David Francisco Comes Back From the Abyss Stronger in Excellent Memoir 'Lionheart' - Billboard