Monday, June 22, 2015

Spotlight- Finding Matthew by Donna Kirk

 A Child with Brain Damage, a Young Man with Mental Illness, a Son and Brother with Extraordinary Spirit

I received an email about this one a while back and while it's not really my style (and I'm just too swamped to accept anything for review that isn't so much my style) I wanted to spotlight it anyway.


This quote hit me pretty hard "During the first few weeks after Matthew Kirk was born -- brain-damaged as a result of oxygen deprivation during delivery -- the doctors advised his parents, Donna and Ed Kirk, to put him in an institution, have another baby as soon as possible, and get on with their life. But what the doctors didn't understand was that Matthew was their life."


As a mother, I cannot even tell you the emotions that that quote stirred up.  Rage is right up there.

 So, to help out with raising awareness for parents going through this kind of thing and for the Kirk family specifically, I wanted to share this book with you and also share some links for more information.

 First, Donna's blog where you can find posts like her advice for parents of children with disabilities and her post on love and limitations.  You can also read her "true fiction" piece about Driver's Education.

 Also recommended is themighty.com which has a lot of stories of living with disabilities and is working to change perceptions of families living with disabilities.

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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 22, 2015 at 1:32 PM

    This is a fantastic book a must read!

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  2. BB in NCJune 22, 2015 at 6:45 PM

    Thank you for spotlighting my Mom's boom about my late brother. I have an obvious bias however "Finding Matthew" is very well written and is a fabulous read.

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  3. UnknownJune 23, 2015 at 6:24 AM

    Very nice review indeed. Donna Kirk's book is such a wonderful read as she takes us on the journey of her son Matthew and her family. It defintely a page turner that will leave you feeling so many emotions and cheering Matthew on throughout the entire book. It's a must read!

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  4. Sheila GaleJune 23, 2015 at 3:46 PM

    Well worth reading, whether you have a disabled child or not. Matthew's wonderful sense of humor is illustrated so many times in this compelling book. The devotion and love his parents, Donna and Ed, coupled with their strength, determination and courage, make you want to stand up and shout: 'Way to Go, Matthew!'

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  5. BrittJune 23, 2015 at 5:01 PM

    Thanks for the comments! I wanted to share the story of this special family even if I couldn't get the book read. I'm glad so many people enjoyed it!!

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