A Friend Like Henry: The Remarkable True Story of an Autistic Boy and the Dog That Unlocked His World

by Gardner, Nuala

• ISBN13: 9781402214066
• ISBN10: 1402214065
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-09-01
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc

Summary

When Jamie and Nuala Gardner chose a puppy for their son, Dale, they weren't an ordinary family choosing an ordinary pet. Dale's autism was so severe that the smallest deviation from his routine could provoke a terrifying tantrum. Family life was almost destroyed by his condition, and his parents spent most of their waking hours trying to break into their son's autistic world and give him the help he so desperately needed.

Table of Contents

Prologue	p. IX
The Arrival	p. 1
A Different Child	p. 13
A Lonely Battle	p. 26
Henry: A Really Useful Dog	p. 45
The Voice	p. 51
The Kick	p. 72
Make or Break	p. 90
A Fitting Tribute	p. 107
The Miracle	p. 125
Independence	p. 149
Tough Decisions	p. 165
Harry	p. 184
A Whole New World	p. 204
Granda George	p. 222
Letting Go	p. 236
In His Own Words	p. 247
Afterword	p. 257
Reading Group Guide	p. 259
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

By the time we took Dale up to his room to settle him for the night, he was much calmer, although he insisted that Henry stay with him at all times. Even when Henry was lying beside him on top of the blanket, Dale still needed reassurance that his dog was not going away and was feeling all right. I had an idea and whispered to Jamie, who then said in Henry's deep voice, "Dale, I'm feeling much better now. Please take my Band-aid off."

Jamie gently removed the Band-aid, saying, "Dale, I'll put this in the trash-we won't need it any more."

Dale's face immediately flooded with relief and Jamie left me to say goodnight to him.

"Dale, give Henry his night-time kiss," I told him. "It's time to sleep."

He turned and did so, saying, "Night, night, Henry. Love you. See you in the morning."

I tucked Dale in and kissed him, saying, "Goodnight, Dale," as I cautiously turned to leave.
Then came his quiet, upset little voice, wanting more reassurance: "Mummy, Dale loves his dog."

I didn't want to make any more of a fuss and carried on, saying, "Yes, darling, and Henry loves Dale."

As I opened the bedroom door wider, Dale repeated softly, "Mummy, Dale loves his dog."

"Yes, that's good," I replied, still trying to leave. Then I stopped dead in my tracks as his next words hit me.

"And Dale loves his mummy."

Just five little words, yet I was numb, paralyzed with shock. Then somehow my brain started to function again, although my heart was pounding-I desperately didn't want to get this wrong. I turned around and knelt down beside Dale's bed, where I gave him a cautious and gentle hug, telling him, "Mummy loves you, too. And Daddy loves you. Goodnight, Dale."

His sweet, small voice replied, "And Dale loves Daddy."

I kissed him on the head, quietly left the room and wept-copious, silent tears. Through this mist I noticed Jamie, who had been waiting on the landing to see whether Dale had settled. We just gazed at each other, disbelieving. Then he took me in his arms as I continued to weep.

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Excerpted from A Friend Like Henry: The Remarkable True Story of an Autistic Boy and the Dog That Unlocked His World by Nuala Gardner
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.