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Bob Woodruff and Wife Pen Recovery Memoir

Journalist Bob Woodruff had reached the top of his profession when his life changed in an instant.

Several weeks after he was named as co-anchor of ABC's World News Tonight, Woodruff and his cameraman were gravely injured by a roadside bomb while reporting in Iraq.

Thirteen months after the attack, he and his wife, Lee Woodruff, have written In an Instant, a book about his experiences in Iraq and how the couple recovered together.

The narration switches between Woodruff and his wife, who flew to Germany after his injury. Woodruff spent 35 days in a coma.

"It was like being on the other side of the moon, to see my husband's face," says Lee Woodruff.

Despite the crushing injury and months of uncertainty and physical therapy, Woodruff's outlook remains positive.

"He is basically a happy person," Lee Woodruff says of her husband. "I've never heard a moment of bitterness come out of his mouth."

The Woodruffs spoke with Renee Montagne about what life is like after the injury, shifting their priorities and how the experience has changed them.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.