I Raise My Eyes to Say Yes [Paperback]

Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer (Author), Steven B. Kaplan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1996

Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer was born in 1950. She has never spoken a word; never walked, never fed herself, never combed her own hair. Trapped in a body that is functionally useless, her mind works perfectly. This is her story. Absorbing and heartbreaking, it was written with the collaboration of Ruth's friend, Steven Kaplan. Without any self pity Ruth recounts her early childhood with a loving family and some happy years at a rehabilitation center, then virtual incarceration at the notorious Belchertown State School in Massachusetts. After 16 years she was released and now she enjoys a life of purpose and personal triumph. I Raise My Eyes to Say Yes will permanently alter your perception of the severely disabled and it will inspire you with the extraordinary power of love, thought, and the human spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sienkiewicz-Mercer, a paralyzed cerebral palsy victim who communicates through eye movements and facial expressions, presents her autobiography with assistance from friend and interpreter Kaplan. "The imagery of escape from a useless body, a 'natural concentration camp,' pervades this inspiring account of victory over handicap," wrote PW. Photos.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Scientific American

An extraordinary look at being severely disabled in a society that is ill prepared to cope with the handicapped

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 233 pages
• Publisher: Whole Health Books; Whole Heal edition (June 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964461633
• ISBN-13: 978-0964461635
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #328,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable book by a remarkable woman., October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Raise My Eyes to Say Yes (Paperback)

I was fortunate enough to work with Ruth for about a year before she passed away. Anyone who has met Ruth knows that her spirit transcended her physical disability. This book is only one example of her courage and perserverence. Please, please read this book. It might change your outlook on people with disabilities.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Remembrance: Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer, March 16, 1999

By 

Bill Lynn (Riverview, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Raise My Eyes to Say Yes (Paperback)

Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer is, in my estimation, one of the most remarkable women about whom I have ever read. Not only did she survive separation from a loving but misinformed family and the horrors of Belchertown State School, Mrs. Sienkiewicz-Mercer accomplished something seldom achieved by the institutionalized disabled. She not only left the institution, she rose high above it. In this book she uses her eyes to tell her story.

I am saddened to report that Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer passed away in the summer of 1998. She never spoke her entire life but she will be sorely missed by those she reached with her words. Many thanks to Steven Kaplan for helping her tell her story.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Requiring all my future special education teachers to read t, December 27, 2000

By 

Kathleen S. Whittier (Schuyler Falls, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Raise My Eyes to Say Yes (Paperback)

I could not put this down. Moving account of a person's struggle to be seen and heard!! I am a Professor of Special Education at SUNY Plattsburgh and all my students are required to read this book.