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A Head Full of Birds
by Alexandra GaribalA school story to encourage friendship and understanding among children of all abilities. When the other kids mock her at recess, Nanette doesn&’t listen. She&’d rather focus on puddles, spider webs, and whatever she can create with her hands. One day a boy named Noah—who&’d rather fly paper airplanes than listen to the lesson—starts sitting at Nanette&’s table. At first, Noah finds Nanette confusing and a little frustrating. But her ideas look like so much fun… Expressively illustrated in colored pencils, this school story will foster discussions about navigating differences and embracing creativity. A Head Full of Birds is a sensitive portrayal of neurodiverse friendships and the joy that comes when we reimagine the world together.
The First Day Speech
by Isabelle HadalaNathan is excited about finally being old enough to go to school, but what will the first day be like? Who will be his friend? He also has a special worry: will the other kids make fun of him? When he practices wearing first-day outfits-- going as a pirate, an astronaut, a bank robber-- his older brother assures him, "Those won't do. You have to go as yourself." Finally, Nathan bravely faces his worries and asks his mother to arrange with his new teacher to allow him to give a speech on the first day of school. Nathan is a fictional character based on the real-life experience of Isabelle Hadala, who prior to her first day of kindergarten arranged with her teacher to give a speech to explain that she was born with Ectodermal Dysplasia, a condition that halted the development of most of her fingers, teeth and toes. Each year, "Izzy" has continued to give her first-day speech, addressing her classmates' curiosity, assuring them that she is not contagious, that she will not fall and break, that she was " born this way and, it is not catching," and that "inside," she is just like they are. Now Izzy's story is becoming this charming picture book featuring Nathan, a fictional character with a craniofacial difference, to represent the universal desire of every child to be accepted for just who they are. With the wisdom of a teacher and the humor of classmates, who are eager to display the ways in which they are each different, the fictional character Nathan realizes that his classmates see him in a way even better than he hoped. They see him as a new friend.
A 52-Hertz Whale
by Bill Sommer Natalie Haney Tilghman"It appears to be the only individual emitting a call at this frequency and hence, has been described as the world's loneliest whale."—Wikipedia So here's how it all starts: James, a high school freshman, is worried that the young humpback whale he tracks online has separated from its pod. So naturally he emails Darren, the twentysomething would-be filmmaker who volunteered in James's special education program back in middle school. Of course, Darren is useless on the subject of whales, but he's got nothing but time, given that the only girl he could ever love dumped him. And fetching lattes for his boss has him close to walking out on his movie dream and boomeranging right back to his childhood bedroom. So why not reply to a random email from Whale Boy? Predictably, this thread of emails leads to a lot of bizarre stuff, including a yeti suit, drug smuggling, widows, a major documentary filmmaking opportunity, first love, a graveyard, damaged echolocation, estranged siblings, restraining orders, choke holds, emergency dentistry...and then maybe ends with something like understanding. See, it turns out that the thing that binds people together most is their fear that nothing binds them together at all.
Collateral Damage (Support and Defend)
by Patrick Jones Brent ChartierHaving a parent return from military duty is a dream come true. But sometimes, coming home comes with problems. Tyshawn can't wait to show off his three-pointers. His dad, a former basketball star and a sergeant in the US Army, is finally coming home from overseas. But Ty isn't prepared for how serious his dad's traumatic brain injury is. Neither is his mom. When Ty is left to care for his dad, it's hard to keep up with his own life—and his girlfriend, his coach, and his teachers all take notice. He may not be the injured one, but he needs to figure out how to cope with this new situation—and fast.
Notes to Jacqui: A Polio Survivor's Thoughts to His Daughter
by Ronald A. TomoFor years I have wanted to immortalize my thoughts as a handbook for my loving daughter Jacqui. Having been a polio survivor being stricken in 1953 at 7 months old, I had to learn much about survival, caring, adapting, loving, leading, and so much more. As one of the younger survivors of polio (vaccine came out a few months after I contracted this deadly and crippling disease) I naturally learned quickly about "odds" and statistics; which is to say they're meaningless if you are the one who falls on the wrong side of probability!!!I have survived many things in life and have achieved many things in life (polio survivors are known to be over achievers ... statistically of course). I have learned much along the way with both my successes and failures. The main thing I learned is how to beat the odds which turned out to be very simple; NEVER GIVE UP. This book is a compilation of various notes I want my daughter Jacqui to remember even when I'm long gone. My style of writing is free flowing for easy reading and understanding. The chapters in the book have no particular order be it chronological or otherwise. Instead they are in the order of my mood and inspiration at the time I sat down at my keyboard. I write from the heart as I approach all things in my life. My brain shows me the options but my heart makes the decision. This has proved to be a very effective approach and has made me successful in many ways. I live by a concept that I always knew but the great motivator Anthony Robbins coined or immortalized the best phrase that describes it all: "Live with Passion." So, buckle your seatbelts; put on your reading glasses; relax and enjoy. I waited and thought about this project for a long time so I hope you learn something and to my daughter, this is what I leave to you as the history of your dad and the "guide to life according to Pops."
The Ballad of Blind Tom, Slave Pianist: America's Lost Musical Genius
by Deirdre O'ConnellThis biography of a musical genius who went from slavery to international stardom is a “vivid, carefully researched narrative reflects the tenor of the” (Publishers Weekly). Born into slavery in Georgia, Tom Wiggins died an international celebrity in New York in 1908. His life was one of the most bizarre and moving episodes in American history. Born blind and autistic—and therefore unable to work with other slaves—Tom was left to his own devices. He was mesmerized by the music of the family’s young daughters, and by the time he was four, Tom was playing tunes on the piano. Eventually freed from slavery, “Blind Tom” toured the country and the world, dazzling audiences that included celebrities like Mark Twain and the Queen of England. Considered both a genius and a novelty act, Blind Tom embodied contradictions—a star and a freak, freed from slavery yet still under the control of his white guardian. His life offers a window into the culture of celebrity and racism at the turn of the twentieth century. In this rollicking and heartrending book, O’Connell takes us through the life (and three separate deaths) of Blind Tom Wiggins, restoring to the modern reader this unusual yet quintessentially American life.
Writing Deafness
by Christopher KrentzTaking an original approach to American literature, Christopher Krentz examines nineteenth-century writing from a new angle: that of deafness, which he shows to have surprising importance in identity formation. The rise of deaf education during this period made deaf people much more visible in American society. Krentz demonstrates that deaf and hearing authors used writing to explore their similarities and differences, trying to work out the invisible boundary, analogous to Du Bois's color line, that Krentz calls the "hearing line." Writing Deafness examines previously overlooked literature by deaf authors, who turned to writing to find a voice in public discourse and to demonstrate their intelligence and humanity to the majority. Hearing authors such as James Fenimore Cooper, Lydia Huntley Sigourney, Herman Melville, and Mark Twain often subtly took on deaf-related issues, using deafness to define not just deaf others, but also themselves (as competent and rational), helping form a self-consciously hearing identity. Offering insights for theories of identity, physical difference, minority writing, race, and postcolonialism, this compelling book makes essential reading for students of American literature and culture, deaf studies, and disability studies.
The Lives of Chang and Eng
by Joseph Andrew OrserConnected at the chest by a band of flesh, Chang and Eng Bunker toured the United States and the world from the 1820s to the 1870s, placing themselves and their extraordinary bodies on exhibit as "freaks of nature" and "Oriental curiosities." More famously known as the Siamese twins, they eventually settled in rural North Carolina, married two white sisters, became slave owners, and fathered twenty-one children between them. Though the brothers constantly professed their normality, they occupied a strange space in nineteenth-century America. They spoke English, attended church, became American citizens, and backed the Confederacy during the Civil War. Yet in life and death, the brothers were seen by most Americans as "monstrosities," an affront they were unable to escape.Joseph Andrew Orser chronicles the twins' history, their sometimes raucous journey through antebellum America, their domestic lives in North Carolina, and what their fame revealed about the changing racial and cultural landscape of the United States. More than a biography of the twins, the result is a study of nineteenth-century American culture and society through the prism of Chang and Eng that reveals how Americans projected onto the twins their own hopes and fears.
No Right To Be Idle: The Invention Of Disability, 1850-1930
by Sarah F. Rose<P><P>During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Americans with all sorts of disabilities came to be labeled as "unproductive citizens." Before that, disabled people had contributed as they were able in homes, on farms, and in the wage labor market, reflecting the fact that Americans had long viewed productivity as a spectrum that varied by age, gender, and ability. But as Sarah F. Rose explains in No Right to Be Idle, a perfect storm of public policies, shifting family structures, and economic changes effectively barred workers with disabilities from mainstream workplaces and simultaneously cast disabled people as morally questionable dependents in need of permanent rehabilitation to achieve "self-care" and "self-support." <P><P> By tracing the experiences of policymakers, employers, reformers, and disabled people caught up in this epochal transition, Rose masterfully integrates disability history and labor history. She shows how people with disabilities lost access to paid work and the status of "worker--a shift that relegated them and their families to poverty and second-class economic and social citizenship. This has vast consequences for debates about disability, work, poverty, and welfare in the century to come.
No Right to Be Idle: The Invention of Disability, 1840s–1930s
by Sarah F. RoseDuring the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Americans with all sorts of disabilities came to be labeled as "unproductive citizens." Before that, disabled people had contributed as they were able in homes, on farms, and in the wage labor market, reflecting the fact that Americans had long viewed productivity as a spectrum that varied by age, gender, and ability. But as Sarah F. Rose explains in No Right to Be Idle, a perfect storm of public policies, shifting family structures, and economic changes effectively barred workers with disabilities from mainstream workplaces and simultaneously cast disabled people as morally questionable dependents in need of permanent rehabilitation to achieve "self-care" and "self-support." By tracing the experiences of policymakers, employers, reformers, and disabled people caught up in this epochal transition, Rose masterfully integrates disability history and labor history. She shows how people with disabilities lost access to paid work and the status of "worker--a shift that relegated them and their families to poverty and second-class economic and social citizenship. This has vast consequences for debates about disability, work, poverty, and welfare in the century to come.
Committed: Remembering Native Kinship in and beyond Institutions (Critical Indigeneities)
by Susan BurchBetween 1902 and 1934, the United States confined hundreds of adults and children from dozens of Native nations at the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians, a federal psychiatric hospital in South Dakota. But detention at the Indian Asylum, as families experienced it, was not the beginning or end of the story. For them, Canton Asylum was one of many places of imposed removal and confinement, including reservations, boarding schools, orphanages, and prison-hospitals. Despite the long reach of institutionalization for those forcibly held at the Asylum, the tenacity of relationships extended within and beyond institutional walls. In this accessible and innovative work, Susan Burch tells the story of the Indigenous people—families, communities, and nations, across generations to the present day—who have experienced the impact of this history. Drawing on oral history interviews, correspondence, material objects, and archival sources, Burch reframes the histories of institutionalized people and the places that held them. Committed expands the boundaries of Native American history, disability studies, and U.S. social and cultural history generally.
Breaking Barriers: Working and Loving while Blind
by Peter Altschul<P>For some unknown reason, Peter Altschul was born totally blind. He grew up in a working-class town where, with the help of his persistent mother, he broke through barrier after barrier, determined to live a full life. <P>After attending a private school that initially turned him away--simply because he was blind--Peter details how he discovered his gift for music, eventually playing percussion in the orchestra, marching band, and jazz ensemble at Princeton University. <P>But it was only after Peter graduated from college that it became evident he would need a guide dog. Heidi, a Weimaraner with a large repertoire of barks, howls, and grunts, would assist Peter for the next eight years through the halls of New England Conservatory, where he eventually obtained a master's degree in music composition. <P>Peter relays how he blazed a unique professional trail while simultaneously overcoming obstacles; managed his uneasy relationship with music; and embraced his unexpected entrance into an unfamiliar and romantic world. <P>He also provides an unforgettable glimpse into the wonderful ways his five guide dogs supported him on his journey from urban bachelorhood to the light of love. <P>Breaking Barriers shares a compelling account of one man's journey through life as he and each of his specially trained dogs learned to trust each other, ultimately melding into a smooth working team that tackled the world-together.
Jo Malone: My Story
by Jo MaloneKnown around the world for her eponymous brand of fragrances and now her brand-new venture Jo Loves, Jo Malone tells the remarkable and inspiring story of her rise from humble beginnings to beloved business success.<P><P> Jo Malone began her international fragrance and scented candle business in 1983 from her kitchen, where she made bath oils as thank-you gifts for her facial clients. She opened her first store in London in 1994, and in 1999 she sold the Jo Malone London brand to Estee Lauder Companies. Recently, she launched a new brand, Jo Loves, igniting the excitement of fashion and beauty converts all over the world.<P> Raised in government-subsidized housing in Kent in the early 1960s, Jo Malone left school as a teenager to care for her mother after she had a stroke. Jo had not been successful in school because of her dyslexia, but she had the ability to see and feel everything in scent. Her at-home beauty business and hand-made products became popular, and word of her talent spread until an international brand was born. After the sale of her company and the birth of her son, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment in New York. Thus began the second chapter of her life, and in this memoir, Jo tells her full amazing and inspiring personal story.
Can You Feel the Noise?
by Stewart FosterA profound story about inner strength and perseverance in the face of a life-changing event, from the award-winning author of The Bubble Boy. Perfect for fans of R. J. Palacio's Wonder and Lisa Thompson's The Goldfish Boy.&‘A wonderful book about overcoming a life-changing event and the remarkable power of music.&’ – Lisa Thompson, author of The Goldfish BoyLife is going well for Sophie. She&’s getting by at school, has some pretty awesome friends, and their band have made it through to the semifinals of the Battle of the Bands competition.But when Sophie wakes up completely deaf one morning, the life she once knew seems like a distant memory. With lessons replaced by endless hospital appointments, and conversations now an exercise in lip-reading, Sophie grows quieter and quieter. Until she discovers the vibrations of sound through an old set of drums and wonders whether life onstage is actually still within reach.Drawing on the author's own hearing impairment, Can You Feel the Noise? is a deeply personal and moving story that will stay with you long after reading.Praise for Can You Feel the Noise? &‘Powerful, moving and uplifting. This beautifully-told story highlights the gift of perseverance.&’ – Polly Ho-Yen, author of Boy in the Tower &‘A moving, empathy-boosting, and hopeful story about a young musician navigating hearing loss.&’ – Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of Think Like a Boss 'A sensitive and brilliant story of hearing loss, full of humour and hope.&’ – A. M. Howell, author of The Garden of Lost Secrets
Supporting Children with Special Needs: A Penny Tassoni Handbook
by Penny TassoniSupport the individual needs of children with this practical and informative guide from Penny TassoniFully matched to the new 2014 Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice, this Penny Tassoni Handbook explores supporting children with individual needs, working with parents and the issues surrounding SEN and disability. Tassoni's signature style and approach ensures that the government code is translated into a practical, informative and easy-to-read guide for anyone working in the role of a SENCO.- Helps you tailor your strategies in the key areas of communication & interaction, cognition & learning, social, emotional & mental health and sensory and/or physical needs.- Includes a detailed reference section on a wide range of specific needs from autism spectrum condition through to Fragile X.- Uses colourful design and illustrative photos which make theory easy to understand and to put into practice in real world scenarios.- Written in Penny Tassoni's easy-to-read, informative and practical style.
The Autistic Spectrum: Revised edition
by Lorna Wing'Authoritative, compassionate and commonsensical . . . an honest, sensitive and thorough introduction to understanding and living with autism . . . highly recommended.' - Psychological Medicine'Packed with down to earth, practical ideas . . . readable, interesting . . . informative . . . if you buy only one title about autism this year it should be this one.' - Collette Dritte, Nursery WorldOver 500,000 people of all ages in the UK have disorders in the autistic spectrum. About one-third also have varying degrees of learning difficulty. All have impairment of social interaction, communication and imagination - the world appears a bewildering and sometimes frightening place. This acclaimed, authoritative guide explains how people with autism experience the world and why they need an organized, structured environment, presenting a window into the world of those with the disorder. Wing suggests ways of improving communication, developing abilities and widening social interaction, and how to cope with stresses within the family.
The Autistic Spectrum: Revised edition
by Ms Lorna Wing'Authoritative, compassionate and commonsensical . . . an honest, sensitive and thorough introduction to understanding and living with autism . . . highly recommended.' - Psychological Medicine'Packed with down to earth, practical ideas . . . readable, interesting . . . informative . . . if you buy only one title about autism this year it should be this one.' - Collette Dritte, Nursery WorldOver 500,000 people of all ages in the UK have disorders in the autistic spectrum. About one-third also have varying degrees of learning difficulty. All have impairment of social interaction, communication and imagination - the world appears a bewildering and sometimes frightening place. This acclaimed, authoritative guide explains how people with autism experience the world and why they need an organized, structured environment, presenting a window into the world of those with the disorder. Wing suggests ways of improving communication, developing abilities and widening social interaction, and how to cope with stresses within the family.
The Girl from Yesterday
by Shane DunphyWhen a part time journalism job in rural Ireland leads Shane Dunphy to a family in desperate need of intervention, and a young girl crying out for protection, Shane cannot stand idly by and watch...
How to Cope When Your Child Can't: Comfort, Help and Hope for Parents
by Roz Shafran Ursula Saunders Alice WelhamParenting and caring for a child who is struggling to cope can be painful and stressful, and can make it very hard to enjoy life yourself. Feelings of blame, guilt, sorrow, despair, fear and frustration may be swirling around alongside a desperate desire to cure their pain.Although parenting a child who is experiencing difficulties is a common problem, we can feel desperately alone when it is happening to us. When someone we love is struggling - for whatever reason - we may become unhappy too. For countless parents and children there are problems with no easy solutions. However, that's where this book comes in. It aims to help understand for ourselves what we can and cannot do; to help us to accept any distress, worry, anxiety, sadness or loss of control in our situations; to see that we can tolerate these things; and to know that there are ways to move forward.This book is packed with stories from real parents, combined with information from psychological research. It will show you how you can manage to obtain comfort from knowing you are not alone, get help from resources and techniques that really work, and find hope that things can and do change for the better.
How to Cope When Your Child Can't: Comfort, Help and Hope for Parents
by Roz Shafran Ursula Saunders Alice WelhamParenting and caring for a child who is struggling to cope can be painful and stressful, and can make it very hard to enjoy life yourself. Feelings of blame, guilt, sorrow, despair, fear and frustration may be swirling around alongside a desperate desire to cure their pain.Although parenting a child who is experiencing difficulties is a common problem, we can feel desperately alone when it is happening to us. When someone we love is struggling - for whatever reason - we may become unhappy too. For countless parents and children there are problems with no easy solutions. However, that's where this book comes in. It aims to help understand for ourselves what we can and cannot do; to help us to accept any distress, worry, anxiety, sadness or loss of control in our situations; to see that we can tolerate these things; and to know that there are ways to move forward.This book is packed with stories from real parents, combined with information from psychological research. It will show you how you can manage to obtain comfort from knowing you are not alone, get help from resources and techniques that really work, and find hope that things can and do change for the better.
The Power of Different: The Link Between Disorder and Genius
by Dr. Gail SaltzThe Power of Different is an illuminating and uplifting examination of the link between brain differences and aptitude. Psychologist and bestselling author Gail Saltz presents the latest scientific research and profiles famous geniuses and lay individuals who have been diagnosed with all manner of brain 'problems' - including learning disabilities, ADD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and autism. Saltz shows that the source of our struggles can be the origin of our greatest strengths. Rooted in her experience as a professor and practicing psychiatrist, and based on the latest neurological research, Saltz demonstrates how specific deficits in certain areas of the brain are directly associated with the potential for great talent. She also shows how the very conditions that can cause difficulty at school, in social situations, at home or at work, are bound to creative, disciplinary, artistic, empathetic and cognitive abilities.In this pioneering work, readers will find engaging scientific research and stories from historical geniuses and everyday individuals who have not only made the most of their conditions, but who have flourished because of them. Enlightening and inspiring, The Power of Different shows how the unique wiring of every brain can be a source of strength and productivity, and can contribute to the richness of our world.
At Home with Dyslexia: A Parent's Guide to Supporting Your Child
by Sascha RoosRecommended by Toe by Toe'This is by far the best resource I have found as the parent of two dyslexic children. Out of all the documentaries, websites, seminars, podcasts and of course other books I have studied trying to educate myself on how best to support my little ladies, this provides the most relevant and necessary information in the clearest format. It has been great sharing snippets of the book with the girls, especially the view points of other people with dyslexia. Thank you for a great book!' - Amazon reviewThis book will empower parents by giving them the tools and strategies to deal with dyslexia, making them confident and knowledgeable in the process.It offers:- a guidebook that is visually appealing, including bullet points, illustrations and short chapters, making it an easy to follow reference book for the busy (and often dyslexic) parent;- practical and emotional support at home from primary to secondary school years, as well as how to deal with school and the education system;- chapters that can be dipped into for useful day to day advice and tools to help at home , and for overall encouragement and reassurance;- parents and children sharing their personal experiences and advice in their personal accounts - the challenges of dyslexia, possible solutions and successes are openly discussed and woven throughout the chapters, giving the guide an authentic voice. Central to this guide is language of acceptance and celebration, emphasising a learning 'difference' rather than a 'disability', and a genuine encouragement of dyslexic abilities and strengths.
Never Leave a Man Behind: Around the Falklands and Rowing across the Pacific
by Mick Dawson'Mick Dawson's gripping Never Leave A Man Behind, effectively two adventure stories for the price of one, can be justifiably described as "unputdownable". Dawson is a man you would want on your side, whether in battle or tackling waves as high as houses should you ever consider rowing the Pacific.'Sports Book of the Month'An excellent read, it puts you in the boat, understanding what it's like to be in an extremely challenging environment while maintaining composure, cheerfulness and respect for your fellow men. I cannot recommend it highly enough'Keith M. Breslauer, Trustee of The Royal Marines Charity'Breathtaking - builds tension from the very start with life-and-death challenges throughout. Courage and comradeship at their very best, showing how mental and physical disabilities cannot and are not allowed to define or undermine the human self. Leaves you in awe and respect for one man determined to help his muckers win their battles whatever it takes - at great personal cost'Jonathan Ball, Director, The Royal Marines CharityThe stories of two veterans - one traumatised, one blind - who rediscover themselves with the help of a friend in the course of two epic ocean adventures, kayaking around the Falklands and rowing across the Pacific.Mick Dawson tells the story of kayaking around the Falkland Islands with friend and fellow Royal Marines veteran Steve Grenham, who was struggling to cope with the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the extraordinary tale of his 2,500-mile voyage in a rowing boat with his friend and former Royal Marine Commando Steve 'Sparky' Sparkes, who was not only a rowing novice, but also blind. Sparky and Mick succeeded in rowing across the finish line after a truly epic voyage of over 2,500 miles from Monterey Bay in California to Waikiki, Hawaii. They'd hoped to break the record for a two-man rowboat and finish in less than fifty-five days, but a hurricane interfered with their plans. It took them eighty-two days, sixteen hours and fifty-four minutes to complete the race, but it was an even greater achievement for that, and Sparky became the first visually impaired person to row across the Pacific.The race with Sparky was the second expedition of an organisation Mick had set up a few years earlier, The Cockleshell Endeavour, designed to help another former Royal Marine and friend, Steve Grenham, by kayaking with him around the Falklands, where both former commandos served during the 1982 conflict with Argentina.
Never Leave a Man Behind: Around the Falklands and Rowing across the Pacific
by Mick Dawson'Mick Dawson's gripping Never Leave A Man Behind, effectively two adventure stories for the price of one, can be justifiably described as "unputdownable". Dawson is a man you would want on your side, whether in battle or tackling waves as high as houses should you ever consider rowing the Pacific.'Sports Book of the Month'An excellent read, it puts you in the boat, understanding what it's like to be in an extremely challenging environment while maintaining composure, cheerfulness and respect for your fellow men. I cannot recommend it highly enough'Keith M. Breslauer, Trustee of The Royal Marines Charity'Breathtaking - builds tension from the very start with life-and-death challenges throughout. Courage and comradeship at their very best, showing how mental and physical disabilities cannot and are not allowed to define or undermine the human self. Leaves you in awe and respect for one man determined to help his muckers win their battles whatever it takes - at great personal cost'Jonathan Ball, Director, The Royal Marines CharityThe stories of two veterans - one traumatised, one blind - who rediscover themselves with the help of a friend in the course of two epic ocean adventures, kayaking around the Falklands and rowing across the Pacific.Mick Dawson tells the story of kayaking around the Falkland Islands with friend and fellow Royal Marines veteran Steve Grenham, who was struggling to cope with the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the extraordinary tale of his 2,500-mile voyage in a rowing boat with his friend and former Royal Marine Commando Steve 'Sparky' Sparkes, who was not only a rowing novice, but also blind. Sparky and Mick succeeded in rowing across the finish line after a truly epic voyage of over 2,500 miles from Monterey Bay in California to Waikiki, Hawaii. They'd hoped to break the record for a two-man rowboat and finish in less than fifty-five days, but a hurricane interfered with their plans. It took them eighty-two days, sixteen hours and fifty-four minutes to complete the race, but it was an even greater achievement for that, and Sparky became the first visually impaired person to row across the Pacific.The race with Sparky was the second expedition of an organisation Mick had set up a few years earlier, The Cockleshell Endeavour, designed to help another former Royal Marine and friend, Steve Grenham, by kayaking with him around the Falklands, where both former commandos served during the 1982 conflict with Argentina.
Surviving Stroke: The Story of a Neurologist and His Family
by Helen Kennerley Udo KischkaIn October 2016, Udo Kischka suffered a severe stroke. A large intra-cerebral bleed, a bleed deep in the right side of his brain. He was not a typical stroke patient: Professor Kischka was a neurologist and specialist in stroke rehabilitation. Like all stroke patients, he embarked on a journey of recovery. In his case, it was a re-education in his field of expertise. When he uttered the words, 'This is a life changing event' to his wife a few hours after the stroke, he had no idea just how life changing it would be or that there would be still be a good life to be had. Written by experts on both sides of the fence - a stroke victim who is a stroke specialist, and a psychologist who helps others and now has to help herself and her family - this is a personal and brutally honest story of a family's survival. This accessible and relatable book provides insight and realistic hope about what might lie ahead following a stroke, as well as offering both practical and emotional support.