Nobody knew what hurt little Joseph, and no one was offering a way to help him. He cried most of the time, and thrashed about as if in pain. He wasn't learning how to crawl, talk, or interact normally. Doctors told his parents to seek counseling, because nothing could help their son, and the quality of their own lives was at risk. Refusal to accept that advice changed their lives forever. WHAT ABOUT THE BOY? A Father's Pledge to His Disabled Son chronicles a family's rejection of hopelessness and their commitment to the pursuit of normalcy.
My daughter "Jeanz" recommended that I read this book, and, I am so glad I did read it. It tells of a families frustration at a medical system that adopts a "wait and see" attitude when they really should have been proactive and tried to help Joseph live his life as normally as possible. So Stephen and Judy try every treatment available to Joseph and each time they seem to be having a breakthrough, like when a physiotherapists suggests Autism, they go back to the doctors only to have the door literally slammed in their faces again. Even when they have breakthroughs and tell the medical profession all it says is well maybe Joseph would have done this/that without the treatment you gave him! I admire how they grit their teeth and fight on for Joseph. there are uplifting moments in the book as well as all the struggling that they endure on their personal journey. Again as my daughter does not give away spoilers in her reviews I also try not too. I think Stephen is a brave, loving father who is still to this day keeping his pledge to his son. I would recommend this to all who wish to read real life stories. A must read book.
Available from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk £7.80 in paperback and £5.61 on Kindle
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