From the Seeds of Sadness - Hardcover

Geisman, Gemma M

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1441526129 ISBN 13: 9781441526120

Publisher: Xlibris, 2009

Synopsis

It all began when the Geismans son Mike was born with numerous fractures some of which had occurred in the womb before birth The cause was osteogenesis imperfecta OI a genetic disorder that at the time was thought to be so rare that the only information the delivering physician could provide was a brief description in a medical textbook Wanting to share their story about living with this rare disorder Gemma recounts Mike s life experiences from his birth to his growing up years describing with candid detail how caring for Mike was like handling an extremely fragile china doll She illustrates the difficulties of the lonely early years the ambivalent and upsetting feelings and the reluctance to let go as Mike struggled to live a normal and independent life Believing that her family s experiences with the disease were too valuable not to be shared Gemma tells of her attempts to get her story published breaking through finally with a story and two follow up pieces in Redbook magazine Gemma also shares how she established together with other parents the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation OIF the only national organization that sponsors research and serves families affected by OI From the Seeds of Sadness is a poignant story of unconditional love of joys and sorrows and of lessons learned It recounts the Geisman family s journey through the complexities of raising a breakable baby how they conquered fear and anguish and turned what they thought to be an agonizing burden into a gift of hope for generations to come Heart wrenching but inspiring this memoir is a symbol of courage and hope for others who are facing the difficult challenges of raising a child with an incurable illness

About this title

About the Author:

Gemma Geisman grew up in northern Maine, the twelfth of thirteen children. After graduation, she moved to Connecticut where she met her husband, Dick. After his discharge from the navy, they moved to Ohio where they planned to raise a family and pursue the American dream. Their dream became a nightmare when Mike, the second of their four children, was born with a catastrophic bone disorder. Wanting to share their story, Gemma took writing courses and became published. Her long career as founder/director/writer/editor for the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (OIF,Inc.) was spawned by an article she published in Redbook.

About this edition

• Publisher: Xlibris
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1441526129
• ISBN 13: 9781441526120
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 200