Blue Sky July: A Mother's Story of Hope and Healing (Hardcover)

by Nia Wyn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In this poetic, heartrending memoir, UK journalist and first time author Wyn relates seven years of personal struggle and small victories trying to raise and heal a son with severe cerebral palsy. Diagnosed in his first year with the most extreme form of the disability, Joe was born blind, without any hope of ever walking or communicating: "He won't even know you," the neurologist tells them. Joe's seemingly hopeless condition quickly takes over Wyn's world: "It is like death." Desperate for a cure ("Impossible," her doctor says), Wyn pursues every possible therapy-from faith healers and prayer to physical patterning and swimming-losing both her marriage and career as she falls deeper into Joe's world. Along the way she discovers the fate of other babies with cerebral palsy, given up to foster care or institutionalized as wards of the state by parents unable to cope. This difficult-to-face story is carried along effortlessly by Wyn's elegant, fractured prose and hard-won moments of triumph: "Today,/ for the very first time,/ I saw the way he seemed to prefer/ to lift his face to the wind." Any parent is sure to be enthralled, encouraged, and deeply touched.
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Review
BBC Radio 4 Book of the WeekBBC Radio 5 Book of the MonthSerialised in The Guardian, Daily Mail and Good Housekeeping. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (August 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525950834
• ISBN-13: 978-0525950837
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #733,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, the book is by turns heartbreaking and hopeful, August 18, 2008

By	Bookreporter.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

Joe appeared perfectly normal at birth...or so the Apgar scores indicated. But within two hours of his birth, Joe is whisked away to the newborn intensive care unit in grave danger. He is thoroughly tested and found to have severe cerebral palsy. The specialist gives Nia and Alex, Joe's parents, little if any encouragement. The experts all seem to agree that Joe will be blind and unable to speak, move or even recognize his mom and dad.

Nia and Alex are devastated but unwilling to accept the life sentence the doctors have given their infant son. Their lives are filled with a seemingly endless round of visits to specialists, therapists and healers. Nia is even more adamant than Alex; she simply refuses to accept the prognosis so often repeated to her. The doctors suggest she is in denial, but there is absolutely no denying that Nia will do whatever she possibly can to see that Joe has a life worth living.

Light therapy, oxygen therapy, patterning, tapping, music therapy, sensory therapy, Reiki, crystals, Chinese herbs --- Nia tries them all. In fact, it seems there is nothing she won't try. The baby book, purchased in happier, more hopeful times, remains empty the first year. There are no milestones to record.

Nia reduces Joe's drugs for epilepsy, against the advice and orders of the neurologist. Later, when the neurologist mentions that there are no traces of epilepsy on Joe's latest examinations, he still won't admit there is no need for those drugs at all.

A milestone, so long hoped for, finally occurs. Movement! Joe reaches out, actually moving the muscles in his left arm for the first time. Nia and Alex, however, are drifting apart. Though their goals are similar --- giving Joe as normal a life as possible --- their lives are going in opposite directions. Alex has a job to occupy much of his time, and Nia is so focused on Joe that there is practically no time or energy for anything else.

One day, when Joe is two years old, he raises his arms --- both stiffly and not at the same time, but he does reach them around Nia's neck to hug her. This is major progress. Not only is he beginning to move his limbs, he can now express emotion. Joe learns to tap --- once for yes, twice for no. At last, some real communication. Alex feels that Nia has no time for him, and he moves out, but continues to visit three times a day to assist with Joe's patterning exercises and to play with him.

Joe's progress is agonizingly slow, but Nia has wonderful support from family and friends. And now she has a helper --- a respite worker named Sian, who brings joy and hope each time she visits.

Shortly after his third birthday Joe rolls over for the first time. With every painstakingly slow bit of progress that he makes, Nia is more hopeful and determined than ever that her son will continue to improve. Another eye specialist diagnoses cataracts, so Joe has surgery and is fitted with glasses. Now there is real hope for his sight. His first word is "more," and he is happy when he hears music. The little victories and milestones begin to accumulate; Nia's hopes are not in vain.

BLUE SKY JULY is a testament to the unconditional love, hopes and dreams that every mother has for her child. Nia has courage, patience, determination and the ability to continue moving forward even when the experts are telling her it is hopeless. Beautifully written, the book is by turns heartbreaking and hopeful. It is the amazing true story of a young mother who will do anything within her ability to give her son the full and happy life that is every child's birthright.

--- Reviewed by Carole Turner

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put down., May 12, 2009

By	donalyn (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Sky July: A Mother's Story of Hope and Healing (Hardcover)

This story grabs you from the first stanza. Even if you don't normally read stories of this nature, her prose is so like poetry when she so succinctly describes her pain and struggles with the most beautiful turns of phrases. Not to say it's an easy read because of the subject matter. A very inspirational and very beautiful story indeed.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Affirmation For Me, April 1, 2009

By	S. Barclay (Littleton, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Blue Sky July (Paperback)

It was such serendipity to find this amazing book. For me, finding it, reading it was a long over due affirmation, one 4 years in the making as my own precious son has very mild CP. My son is my miracle baby, and like Joe he is doing just great, but 4 yrs ago from the moment he took his first breath it was like I landed upon another planet. There were no other mothers and babies like us, no "mommies" play groups for us, just endless therapies, pity and patronizing comments - that was our world. I was terrified, but somehow I never gave up hope, and rightfully so. Reading this amazing and lovely book was like going back and watching myself - understanding and feeling everything - finally the affirmation, the connection I needed so much back then. Thank you for writing this beautiful and powerful book. Every parent, whether your child has CP or not, would find this book inspirational and uplifting.