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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quick to criticize but will never understand, January 23, 2005
This review is from: Fighting for Tony (Paperback)
Having lived through the diagnosis of my son -- I can relate 100% with this book. The mother's feelings, the ability to press on while others are in denial..... It can be a lonely road at times. You become so desperate that you feel that one day your child will snap out of it. I read the reviews and thought it is easy for a reader to criticize not having gone through this. Mary, I apologize for their ignorance. As a result - in addition to the chelation therapy I also removed dairy from my son's diet. At first I saw little change until I put him back on milk and boy I saw the self stimming go out of control. His dad and I were at the verge of separation a few years ago as well. He was in denial while I was fighting the system -but thank God he is has come on board and is the most dedicated Dad and supportive husband - even among my friends that have autistic kids - my husband is a Godly Gift. We are doing a lot better - I feel so encouraged and hopeful. I no longer feel guilty about my frustrations or anger - I now know it's a natural feeling and I know I have over come it. BUt I did feel guilty for having the initial feelings If only I had met someone as truthful and honest - I thought I was going mad with my thoughts and reactions to my son's diagnosis. Now my son is 6 years old. He is high functional - there is still a long journey ahead. This book has made me even more determined to seek more help. I've had the opportunity to meet Renee Randazzo, (Tony's sister in the book)- she works at a center helping children get services for their special needs. She took her family's journey to help others. I APPLAUD Renee's work and her mom's determination to see through this whole ordeal. I wish I could meet Mary Callahan in person and let her know that I was encouraged and determined to also fight for my son, Cristian. This is a great book for someone who has had a diagnosis in their family. Years later - therapies and treatment change to the better - but initial feelings are just as real and painful. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WRITING YOUR STORY!!!!!!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Keeping the Shadows at Bay, August 15, 2005
This review is from: Fighting for Tony (Paperback)
When Tony Randazzo was born in February 1978, he smiled within hours after his birth. However, even as an infant he did exhibit overtly autistic behaviors. His sister Renee was born a year and a half later in August of 1979. Tony, still nonverbal was by then enrolled in a special needs pre-school program. He and Renee plainly bonded from the start and, upon returning from pre-school, Tony bestowed his sister with a spontaneous kiss. Problems with behavior management arose; Rich and Mary Callahan eventually separated for two years. A chance viewing of the now defunct Phil Donahue show in 1980 led Mary Callahan to believe that Tony's problems were allergy based. It was during this time that Tony was taken off certain substances, milk included. While he showed improvements, milk was then not targeted as the culprit. Reading of how Renee and Tony interacted was heartwarming; indeed, these siblings were quite good for one another. Once milk was identified as causing Tony's problems, he was switched to a soy product. From that point on, he showed no trace of autism, which led Mary Callahan, a nurse, to believe the boy had a cerebral allergy. Tony's shadows were kept at bay until a family trip in 1983. He had two cartons of milk in his class, which led to a sad backslide into autism. Once he had a chance to sleep it off, literally, he showed absolutely no trace of autism. Renee and Tony were kept in the same grade because of Tony's auditory processing difficulties. This turned out to be a good move because they looked out for one another and worked well together. In fact, they worked so well together they staged a coup at a day care center! That was so funny! I just loved that part! It would be interesting to hear an update on Tony's continued progress and of Renee's work in a special needs center. It sounds as if Renee had on-the-job training the first few years of her life. This in turn, no doubt, I believe, made her more effective in her line of work. I recommend "There's a Boy in Here" by Judy & Sean Barron along with this book. Sean, like Tony had autism and both young men were blessed with younger sisters who were extraordinary teachers who loved them unconditionally.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting, January 21, 2004
This review is from: Fighting for Tony (Paperback)
This book was about a boy, Tony, who was diagnosed with autism. In the book, his mother discovers that he has a cerebral allergy to milk. He is taken off dairy products and seems to be cured of autism. The book also talks about the author's marital problems caused by the strain of taking care of such a difficult child. The author is very honest about her feeling towards her husband and over taking care of her son, plus the run ins with various professionals who just don't get it. She describes her anger and frustrations very well and doesn't sugar coat anything. I found myself getting very angry at her husband and other family members for blaming her for everything that was wrong with her son. As a book reviewer for a family friendly site, I must say that there is profanity in the book that is always distracting. If the language was cleaned up some, that might make the book better. Plus, some scenes are kind of tough to read. Some of her behaviors, although they weren't frequent, were abusive. I know those incidents come out of frustrations from dealing with a difficult child, but maybe she could have pointed out that how she was dealing with the situation at times was not necessarily right and could have hurt her son. All in all, this was a very interesting, informative book. I was glad that she and her husband remarried towards the end. The book does have a happy ending. But not all stories like this have happy endings.
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