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| http://www.adoremusbooks.com "Mama grabbed her dejected daughter's face again and forced Joan to look into her eyes. She spoke sternly, "Joan you listen to me right now. The doctor's wrong! Brian's going to write his own story. He's going to sing his own song and no one's going to sing it for him. It's his life and it's between him and God...not some fool doctor who's had so much schooling that he's forgotten the power of faith." "Joan shook her head. "But, Ma..." she sobbed. "You heard him. Brian's brain has been damaged." The final word made her wail out in pain... "Frank looked up from his spell and began to quietly weep. "Mama nodded again. "Yep," she said, with burning determination. "Brian's going to be as right as rain. I guarantee it. Only God knows how...but that's enough." ~~~ |
Goodnight, Brian:
Impossible is no
match for love...
By Steven Manchester
I don't know why I keep reading books by Steven Manchester; I know I'd going to wind up crying a lot...
I don't like to cry... LOL... But I just keep on reading because Manchester writes about people, their lives--some of them I even know. In this case, substitute Keithie for Brian. Keithie, my second cousin, lives in Ohio so I don't see him as often anymore, but you would never know it because he'll always have a hug for visitors. His Mother chose to keep him at home when he was declared seriously disabled...
Brian's doctors also said he would not be able to speak, walk, and be...normal... But that didn't stop his family, spearheaded by Mama. An indomitable woman who reminded me much of my sister. You may not see your own relatives in this book, but what you will see is God's people at work. They are spirited, determined, courageous, and most of all, loving people who, if not at first, do come to believe that with God, nothing is impossible...
 |
| "Due in part to Joan's emotional testimony, Congress finally passed the Infant Formula Act..." |
But she is not a woman without action. She got all of the children in the family and talked with them about taking care of Brian and helping him. And then was their coach, as well as Brian's...
Brian had been fine at birth, but when Joan was no longer able to provide milk for him, a baby's formula was prescribed by her doctor...
It was the formula that had been the cause of the damage...
You will learn what was being done legally, but that is secondary to the real story--of Brian. This is truly his story, because what Mama said was possible...
God and Brian succeeded in doing...what the doctors said was impossible!
"Each young face stared up at her, betraying a mix of confusion and disappointment.
"Mama showly took a seat on the floor with them and took a deep breath. "Do you guys like butterflies?"
"They all nodded. "They're my favorite!" Heidi said.
"Mine, too," Mama confirmed with a smile. "But butterflies start out as fuzzy, crawly caterpillars."
"Yuck," Heidi said.
"Steph smiled. "That's cool," Ross agreed.
"Mama chuckled. "And when the time's just right, each caterpillar forms its own cocoon. About two weeks later, when it's time for them to fly off into the world as a butterfly, they have to struggle with all their might to break out of that cocoon. And believe me, they can't fly until they're struggled for a very long time." She searched their faces. They seemed to be following her. "If they didn't have to struggle," she explained, "then they wouldn't be able to build up the muscles that they need to help them fly." She looked at Brian and rubbed his belly. "We don't want our little boy to be a caterpillar forever, right?"
"No, Mama," they sang in chorus.
"That's right," she said "Brian's our butterfly, so he's going to have to learn how to break out of his own cocoon."
..."We just need to be careful not to do everything for Brian. We have to allow him to do for himself, and this isn't going to be an easy thing to do. Trust me, it breaks Mama's heart sometimes to watch you guys struggle. But unless I let you struggle, you'll never learn and be able to do for yourself and survive in this world. And that's what we need to give Brian...that's what he deserves. Breaking our of his cocoon is going to take a lot of hard work, without other people doing it for him..."
~~~
It is not hard to imagine that you will learn from this book. Parents may learn that their children need to be allowed to struggle through their own issues. Community members may learn that they have a part to play in the lives of the families living near them... So there is more than just the remarkable story of Brian to read about...
There is also Mama from whom you will learn one predominant characteristic: self-sacrificial faith...
That, for me, would have been enough without all the rest...Please consider this a must-read. This is undoubtedly Manchester's finest work to date... Thank you Steven for allowing me to share your wonderful, remarkable words and story...
GABixlerReviews
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