Breaking Down Walls of Isolation
One overriding memory drove the writing of A Different Dream for My Child. Every time I thought about our weeks and months in the hospital with Allen, the sense of isolation and confusion that overwhelmed us in 1982 came rushing back.
Thank You, Google Alerts
So when the opportunity arose to write this book and break down the walls of isolation around other families, I was overjoyed. But writing a book and getting it into the hands of parents who need it are two different things. Since Different Dream was released on September first, I’ve been praying for God to get it into the hands of parents who need it. Now, thanks to google alerts, there’s evidence of God answering my prayer.
Random Thoughts from the Unhinged and Unfeigned
The first sighting of a Different Dream reaching a family with a special needs child, a family far beyond my personal sphere of influence, landed in my inbox on November 5. The link led me to a blog called Random Thoughts from the Unhinged and Unfeigned, and a mom struggling with their youngest child’s diagnosis of Trisomy 18. The mother says, “This is a book I think all of my T-18 mommy friends need to get.”
1 Large Family in 1 Small Farm House
The second sighting arrived on November 14. Again, I clicked on the link in the google alert, and surfed to another blog: 1 Large Family in 1 Small Farm House. This mother’s grief was raw and bleeding. She’s in limbo as the doctors try to diagnose her baby’s condition. Baby Eliza is sick, disabled, and possibly deaf, but her condition doesn’t follow the pattern of any known chromosome abnormalities.
This mom said she only knows one other parent who has a disabled child, not much of a support system. Then, someone gave her a copy of Different Dream, and she says. “Reading the first few stories in this book… A Different Dream for My Child… by Jolene Philo, I see there is a light. Just a different one. A different journey.”
More Walls Remain
But so many parents are imprisoned behind walls of isolation, struggling to find hope. My heart aches for them, and I continue to ask God to put the book into the hands of parents who need it. If you can help, if have ideas of how to punch through those walls or tear them down, please let me know. You could be another answer to prayer.
Jolene Philo
I have enjoyed this newsletter for the month or so since I discovered it. I didn’t know it was based on a book until now. I’ll have to look for it on AMMY.
My son is now 27. If you go to my other website (www.jolenephilo.com), you can read more about his treatment journey. Click on “Blog Archives,” then click on “2008″ entries and go the December section to read about how the treatment unfolded a year ago.