At Librarywala, we make an effort to connect with readers and writers the world over in search of stories that are heartwarming and beautiful. It was an absolute pleasure to stumble upon the story Stephen Gallup has to share with the world in his poignant parental memoir "What About the Boy?" due to release in September this year. A story of undying devotion to his developmentally challenged son, it promises to take readers on an emotional roller-coaster like none other. It is a story of courage, love and belief that a silver lining does exist.
Here's a little bio on this wonderful father Stephen Gallup.
Beginning in 1977, he worked in various roles in technical communication in the aerospace and wireless telecommunications industries, with projects ranging from proposals for satellite launches and feasibility studies of space missions, to user guides for trendy new cell phones. In the early years, he wrote occasional short fiction on the side, and features for newspapers.
Gallup’s life changed dramatically with the birth of his son Joseph in 1985. Upon learning that there was a problem, he applied his energies to a pursuit of answers that he felt certain must exist. After a year of consulting with physicians to no effect, he located other resources. For the next four years, he and his wife Judy implemented an intensive two-pronged treatment campaign that resulted in dramatic improvements in Joseph’s condition.
His memoir What About the Boy? shows what the family did, and what happened next.
Here is an unpublished piece about his upcoming memoir, 'What About the Boy?' due to hit stores in September this year.
The book promises to be a compelling and honest read, offering a remarkable view of families who have to deal with similar situations in their lives. We champion the author's cause and hope this book is a grand success.
Of course, you would take your baby to the doctor. But what would you do if, instead of offering treatment, the doctor simply told you to be less anxious? Time passes, and your baby is already one year old. The way he cries, and thrashes about, and vomits, you know he’s in distress. And he still cannot crawl or even sit up by himself.
Finally, without ever diagnosing your baby’s problem, the doctors tell you that you need counseling. They see a problem in you. You need to change your focus. The baby? Well, there’s not much to be done about the baby.
There is a choice to be made at such times. Yes, we must rely on specialists who surely know more than we do about such things, but if the specialists do not even try to help—what then?
What About the Boy? A Father’s Pledge to His Disabled Son is a memoir written by the father of such a child. Stephen Gallup and his wife Judy were a young couple who had recently moved to California, thousands of miles from their families and friends. When the doctors let them down, they had no support other than their own sense of what was right.
They knew their son Joseph depended on them to overcome whatever it was that bothered him, and they knew that, ultimately, trying to find real help for him was their responsibility.
The memoir follows their reluctant first steps into the realm of alternative medicine. Some of the providers they find do not inspire confidence, but others personify common sense. What is more important is that, under a new regimen, Joseph finally attains peace within himself and begins the slow process of developing new skills. Such as crawling. And walking.
In the interests of disclosure, the victories this family achieves do not come without a heavy price, nor are they as complete and final as one might wish. Joseph’s path to wellness goes only so far.
Given that, let’s return to the question with which we began. Should the family have accepted the advice of authorities, or should they have dedicated their lives to an uphill battle that had no guarantee of success?
Do share your opinions with us. You may also connect with the author on his blog http://fatherspledge.com/.
