A CHRISTMAS IN INDIA
A Book by Henry J. Konczak
A true-story memoir of survival, travel, and grace.
Memoir by Henry J. Konczak: Review by Daniel Block of Foreign Policy magazine -- Awesome, very compelling. It captures the difficult nature of your journey and what you had to go through in a moving manner You have done what artists often do best (I think). That is, you took a difficult personal experience and turned it into work.
(December 2008 — New Delhi, India)
The moment we stepped off the plane, the air hit like a blast furnace
We couldn’t even see the airport tower. The air swallowed the lights. People rushed to the waiting bus on the tarmac, and it took off before we could board.
There we were—alone in the darkness, stranded like forgotten luggage.
“From Chapter 9 Surgery Day”
The hospital was quiet at dawn.
Nurses moved like shadows in the hallway, their voices soft, their hands warm on my arm as they wheeled me toward surgery. Marla trailed behind, half-asleep, clutching her phone. I tried to memorize every detail — the cool air, the smell of antiseptic, the echo of wheels on tile — knowing that any moment could be the last I remembered.I reached out before the anesthesia took hold, whispering a silent prayer into the dark.
✍️ About the AuthorHenry J. Konczak is a singer-songwriter, storyteller, and producer based in Mansfield, Ohio. His creative work spans music, video, and nonfiction, often blending humor and heart to explore what it means to endure and to heal.
A Christmas in India is his first full-length memoir, drawn from his real-life journey for heart-valve surgery in New Delhi. When he’s not writing, Henry performs as Henry J Live Music, hosts the podcast Henry in Real Life, and continues to turn the chaos of everyday life into art.
Medical Travel: a choice more Americans are being forced to consider
Because of the current state of healthcare in the U.S., more Americans are quietly facing a hard reality: life-saving or life-changing care can be financially out of reach.That’s why medical travel—going abroad for treatment—is no longer fringe. It’s a practical option people research when costs, delays, or insurance gaps leave them with few choices.Common destinations include India, Mexico, Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, where accredited hospitals perform procedures such as:cardiac surgery and valve proceduresjoint replacements (hip and knee)major dental reconstructioncertain cancer treatments and diagnosticsThe advantages people cite most often:significantly lower total cost, even with travelfaster access to carehospitals that routinely treat international patientsThe risks are real and should never be ignored:follow-up care once back in the U.S.complications far from homethe need to carefully vet hospitals, doctors, and facilitatorsThis isn’t a shortcut. It’s a serious decision that deserves honest information.I know—because I lived it.My memoir, A Christmas in India, tells the true story of traveling to India for life-saving heart surgery during the holidays, when U.S. care was financially impossible for me. It’s not a brochure. It’s a firsthand account of fear, resilience, cultural difference, and survival.I’d love for you to read the book—but this information stands on its own.
No agenda. Just something that may help someone who’s running out of options.👉 https://achristmasinindia.carrd.coHenry J. Konczak