CAPITOLA -- Terry Healey was only 20 with a whole life ahead of him when he had several unimaginable adversities thrown his way.

First was Healey's diagnosis with fibrosarcoma, a rare form of cancer originating from soft tissue. He was initially able to have it treated, but a recurrence led to multiple surgeries that left him with a permanent facial disfigurement.

Healey responded to these misfortunes with strength and optimism, parlaying his experiences through motivational speeches and two books, the latest of which -- "The Resilience Mindset: How Adversity Can Strengthen Individuals, Teams, and Leaders" -- was published in September. Healey will be sharing his story and key points from the book through an author talk at the Capitola Branch Library Thursday.

When Healey received his initial diagnosis, he said he was 20 and a junior at UC Berkeley "living on easy street" when he noticed a bump that formed behind his right nostril. He went to the doctor and received a biopsy, which resulted in a diagnosis of fibrosarcoma. At first, he said doctors were able to take care of it, but six months later, a new lump was found in the same area. This led to multiple facial surgeries that resulted in the removal of half his nose, the shelf of his right eye, the muscle and bone from his right cheek, six of his teeth and part of his upper lip and hard palate.

"That was really the beginning of my journey and my story, which led to a whole new world for me of being on easy street and suddenly being faced with not only a life-threatening cancer and that situation but also facial disfigurement," he said.

During his initial diagnosis, Healey said he had a confident doctor at UC San Francisco who felt he could deal with the cancer, and he attributes his faith with giving him strength throughout the process. Following his recurrence, he said things changed.

"I realized that, No. 1, I kind of looked like the Elephant Man and, No. 2, my life was going to take a radical turn and how was I going to deal with that?" he said. "I wasn't angry, but I was probably frightened of it, I was emotional about it, I was saddened by it because suddenly, when you're that age, when you feel invincible and appearances matter so much, suddenly I was faced with something that was going to change my appearance and change my life."

For the next five to six years, Healey underwent many reconstructive surgeries and additional treatments, and he is now cancer free. What the ordeal taught Healey was how to take control of his own life.

"I couldn't continue to rely on surgical procedures in the hope that they might be able to reconstruct me back to what I called the old Terry," he said.

In addition to his faith, Healey said he surrounded himself with a team of people who supported him and instilled a sense of positivity.

"That was really critical," he said. "I always have been a proponent of mindful positivity, meaning I started my day and ended my day with gratitude. Even though I was in this horrible situation, I did find a reason to be grateful."

Terry said that attitude went back to his first surgery where, even amid all the facial reconstruction, he was grateful his eyes were saved.

"That was a risk factor," he said.

Other things Healey attributed to getting him through the aftermath of the surgeries and treatments were group therapy, positive imaging and achieving a work/life balance, a set of tools he now refers to as his "survival kit."

Healey has shared his story in public speaking engagements and his autobiographical book "At Face Value: My Triumph Over a Disfiguring Cancer," and he said audiences at these events convinced him to write a second book to discuss his tools and methods for overcoming adversity.

"I actually packaged up my resilience framework, or my survival kit, in a more prescriptive way for others to deal with crisis, conflict, change, adversity in their own lives," he said.

At the Capitola Library event, Healey will discuss the three main components of "The Resilience Mindset": his personal story, the resilience framework and the stories of others who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds ranging from paralysis to severe burn injuries.

"It's a lot about this concept of pain to purpose," he said. "The idea is not to wish adversity on anyone. That's not what I'm proposing. All I'm saying is be prepared for it because it's inevitable. It's going to happen, so if you can find some tools and methods to help you through that and leverage the experience of others who overcame unbelievable odds, those are things that you want to keep in your own toolkit and remember for when that time comes."

The discussion is 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Ow Family Community Room of the Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is encouraged at Santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/14307951. Light refreshments will be served.