From California, to Michigan, and Mississippi, Patsy Giddings book, Sandys Miracle, delves into some of mankinds darkest depravities regarding physical, mental, and sexual child abuse. She personally experienced extraordinary incidents of cruelty and rape from those in her own family, in social entities, and eventually in the clutches of her adoptive family. The secrets behind the scenes of these social iniquities are revealed. But Patsys miracle (Sandy's Miracle) came at the least expected time as God intervened into her life with salvation and rescue.
Within minutes of giving birth, Sue Latour was told by her pediatrician her baby girl could not possibly survive the night. The diagnosis was confirmed as certain by a room full of medical experts brought in to assist. Gripped with fear and with seemingly no other options, she turned to God for help. Thus, begins the miraculous story of Sue Lyons-Latour and her miracle princess, Sandy Michelle Latour. Sandy's Heart will enlighten and inspire like no other. You'll laugh and cry, but most of all you'll understand that in the twenty-first century miracles still happen. Sandy's survival was only the first of many miracles to follow. What little did the hospital professionals who insisted that they give her up or the family know of what was to come. They were unaware of God's anointing on their fragile yet miraculous child. The family and all that knew them were to embark on the ride of their lives, filled with testing, trials, and with God's great mercy, grace, forgiveness, love, and favor. It all began on October 3, 1984, with Sandy's first miracle. Sandy's life reached multitudes of souls for the kingdom of God. She walked with God and prophesized the truth into people's lives. Miracles followed her wherever she went. She had a great character and stated God has a character as well. She knew things about heaven and God that were impossible for a handicapped child with a limited mentality. Her description of Jesus was perfectly described as seen in the Bible's revelation of Christ. Sandy's Heart encounters the lives of her family and those around her. It depicts the devastating hard times as well as the blessings and favor of God as He carried them through them all. It allows the reader to find hope and trust in God's will and to find joy in even the hardest of the hard times.
Co-authored from the separate viewpoints of both a twenty-year-old young man with Asperger's Syndrome and his mother, this work makes it possible to experience life from the perspective of a person with Asperger's, thus enabling its intricate understanding. A unique case study, the book chronicles David's life from birth until successful and fulfilled college living. It reveals every challenge confronted (including bullying), every solution employed, and practical lessons learned along the way. Inspiring hope and ideas, this book would be of interest to those with Asperger's/Autism Spectrum Disorder, their parents and loved ones, and professionals who teach and counsel them.
Powerful and motivating, this story inspires you to do whatever you can to live the life you want- no matter what others expect or think. Told from the unique separate viewpoints of a young man with high-functioning autism (David), and his mother (Sandy), you will be pulled into this story and filled with admiration and respect for both individuals. Reading from Sandy's perspective- the love, determination, pain, protectiveness, and anticipation can be felt through the pages as you are transported along with her as she watches David grow up. Sandy perhaps gives her son the best gift that a parent can give- her belief in him and his ability to succeed. Nothing deters Sandy from her mission: to provide David with whatever he needs to have a fulfilling life, the same thing every parent wants for their own child. She does everything in her power to help David fly alone- and fly he does! David's perspective brings us into the heart of his deepest feelings: fears about fitting in, becoming his own person, and growing up and embracing the important things in life. Extremely relatable, his voice feels like a familiar companion to your own innermost thoughts and sentiments. David will struggle, fail, and try again as many times as it takes for him to accomplish his dreams. David's openness about his failures is humbling. His perseverance is inspirational. And his easy-going and forgiving personality will encourage the understanding and acceptance of others' differences. An amazing person, it's impossible not to connect with and root for David as you follow him along his journeys through life. Filled with important tips and lessons learned, this book guides the reader through every challenge and solution found along the way. Expect A Miracle will be cherished by anyone who is on the autism spectrum, their family and friends, as well as anyone who feels alone, misunderstood, or is looking for the courage to live a life of their own making. In addition, beyond their training, educators, and professionals working with clients on the autism spectrum will find Sandy and David's personal insights invaluable in understanding how to meet their challenges. Employers and coworkers will likewise appreciate this guiding information and compelling story.
“Compelling…A bracing work of art and a loving tribute” (Los Angeles Times), this propulsive, stunning book illuminates the experience of living with schizophrenia like never before. Sandra Allen did not know their uncle Bob very well. As a child, Sandy had been told Bob was “crazy,” that he had spent time in mental hospitals while growing up in Berkeley in the 60s and 70s. But Bob had lived a hermetic life in a remote part of California for longer than Sandy had been alive, and what little Sandy knew of him came from rare family reunions or odd, infrequent phone calls. Then in 2009 Bob mailed Sandy his autobiography. Typewritten in all caps, a stream of error-riddled sentences more than sixty, single-spaced pages, the often-incomprehensible manuscript proclaimed to be a “true story” about being “labeled a psychotic paranoid schizophrenic,” and arrived with a plea to help him get his story out to the world. “Searing” (O, The Oprah Magazine), “enthralling” (Star-Tribune, Minneapolis), and “a marvel” (Esquire), A Kind of Mirraculas Paradise shows how Sandy translated Bob’s autobiography, artfully creating a gripping coming-of-age story while sticking faithfully to the facts as he shared them. Sandy also shares background information about their family, the culturally explosive time and place of their uncle’s formative years, and the vitally important questions surrounding schizophrenia and mental healthcare in America more broadly. The result is a heartbreaking and sometimes hilarious portrait of a young man striving for stability in his life as well as his mind, and an utterly unique lens into an experience that, to most people, remains unimaginable. “Thrilling…Gorgeous…a watershed in empathetic adaptation of ‘outsider’ autobiography” (The New Republic), A Kind of Mirraculas Paradise is a dazzlingly, daringly written book that’s poised to change conversations about schizophrenia and mental illness overall.
"Forgive my bluntness, but...Goddamn, Sam Sax can write some poems. Devastating, comic, inventive, weird, dangerous, smart as hell. I could talk about the diction sometimes glass and sometimes bouquet. Or the syntax jagged here, balletic there. Or the metaphors, good lord. But the bottom line is that when reading the poems in A GUIDE TO UNDRESSING YOUR MONSTERS, one after the next, I kept saying to myself, probably twisting my face a little bit or squirming in my seat, "Goddamn, Sam Sax can write some poems." Ross Gay
