Marie Killilea (1913–1991)

I read this book a long time ago, when I was a kid, and it made quite an impression on me. Younger people today likely had some disabled people in their schools, or workplaces. It's taken pretty much for granted today that disabled people are given accommodations to integrate with 'normal' society and many of them are able to lead productive lives.

However, the 1950's were several decades before the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws which mandated accessibility for disabled show more people. Awareness and compassion for disabilities was different, back then people like Karen were more or less considered "broken" or "defective" by many people, and that was the average attitude. To even be a parent of a disabled child was no easy thing, and this book illustrates the struggle of living in the 1950's trying to raise, and do your best, for a child with cerebral palsy.

This is a very good biography, and is a very worthwhile read for the insight it offers into a different time and attitude, and the fight to overcome prejudices and misconceptions about disabled people. show less

Every time I read my copy, I'm blown away by Karen's story. She overcame so much to achieve a productive life after her parents were told to leave her in an institution and forget they ever had her. The family as a whole provided support and hope for thousands of other families struggling with CP and without the Killileas, development of CP devices and surgeries would have been held back for many decades. Even without all of that, you will fall in love with the entire family. I wish I knew show more where they all were now! show less

This is one of those classic books that deserves a 5 star review. For the inspiring story that it is, for the superb writing, the humor, grit, honesty and the history behind it as well. Marie Killilea tells the story of her daughter Karen, who was born with cerebral palsy in the early 1940's, a time when PT and OT services were virtually non-existent. The story includes anecdotes, conversations, struggles, and also a parallel story of how Mrs. Killilea helped found the National United show more Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Delightful and inspiring. This was my second reading of the book. I'm reading the sequel now for the first time! show less

This book about a family's groundbreaking efforts to win recognition of the humanity of people with cerebral palsy was enormously popular in its day (it was first published in the early 1950s). One reason is the character of the author's daughter, the Karen of the title, but the book is also well-written.
The 1940s, when the action mostly takes place, is another world. Everyone smokes--even the doctors offer the parents a cigarette as they sit down for consultation. The mom has more than one show more low-birth-weight baby, and another of her daughters suffers from both rheumatic fever and tuberculosis, but this was before connections to smoking had been made. She also easily assumes her role as wife and mother in the traditional sense. It was a time when mass mailings for the nascent CP organization had to be written with carbon copies and the local police could be called upon in a pinch to help deliver them to the post office when the parents fell sick. show less