Melanie, Bird With a Broken Wing: A Mother's Story

by Harry, Beth

• ISBN13: 9781598571134
• ISBN10: 1598571133
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-03-31
• Publisher: Brookes Pub

Summary

Gripping, raw, and beautiful, this book reveals the struggles and rewards of caring for a child with severe disability and helps professionals work more sensitively and effectively with families of children with special needs. Written with grace and candor by special education professional Beth Harry, the book chronicles the life of her daughter, Melanie, who was born with a rare form of cerebral palsy and died less than 6 years later. Captivating the reader from page one, Dr. Harry illuminates the full spectrum of her parenting experiences¿from the day her ¿little bird¿ came into the world to the day she left. Readers will come away with a deep understanding of the complex emotions that parents experience as they adjust to life with a child who has special needs; the practical and emotional aspects of supporting a child with feeding difficulties, vision impairment, and limited motor skills; the joy parents experience when their child begins to communicate and make personal connections; the lasting impact a professional¿s words can have on a parent, and the need to provide positive support that allows a child to reach her full potential; and the services, therapies, and interventions that improved Melanie¿s quality of life¿and how they¿ve changed since her story began in the 1970s. Ideal for use as a supplemental text in courses for preservice early interventionists, early childhood special educators, special educators, and health professionals, this book gives readers an unforgettable inside look at what families experience when their child has a disability¿and how to meet their needs as their child grows. Eye-opening and inspiring, Melanie, Bird with a Broken Wing will leave a lasting impression.

Author Biography

Beth Harry, Ph.D., is Professor of Special Education, Department of Teaching Learning, School of Education, University of Miami.

Table of Contents

About the Author	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. ix
With a Whimper	p. 2
Melanie	p. 5
Empty Hands	p. 7
The Sweet Bird	p. 10
The Dream Is Me	p. 16
Crashing	p. 21
Gargling	p. 26
Choking	p. 32
Vomiting	p. 36
In Our Hands	p. 40
“Oh, God! No!”	p. 47
The Bearer of Bad News	p. 51
Nestargel	p. 58
The Spiral Staircase	p. 62
Smiling	p. 67
Initial Assessments	p. 69
Seeing	p. 74
Interpreting	p. 79
Swallowing	p. 84
Invisible Chains	p. 89
Love and Faith	p. 93
Mummy Therapy	p. 95
A Very Sick Baby	p. 98
The Turning Point	p. 103
Sleep Feeding	p. 108
Thriving	p. 111
Naming the World	p. 114
Morning Has Broken	p. 121
Mark	p. 126
Seeking Another View	p. 129
The Forest or the Trees?	p. 132
Joan and Wendy	p. 136
The Shade of the Immortelle	p. 139
Bobath Therapy	p. 141
A Temporary Goodbye	p. 146
“Yes!”	p. 148
Back to School	p. 151
Magnificent Helpers	p. 154
A Happy 4-Year-Old	p. 159
A New Decade	p. 166
Dynamic Reassessment	p. 168
CT Scan	p. 174
Btain Gazing	p. 176
Mercedes and Elizabeth	p. 181
The Spreading Branches of the Immortelle	p. 185
A Fairy-Tale Morning	p. 191
From Fairy Tale to Nightmare	p. 194
The Worst of Times	p. 197
The End	p. 198
She Looks All Right	p. 201
Goodbye	p. 203
Epilogue	p. 204
Melanie	p. 207
References	p. 209
Reader's Guide	p. 211
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