Why Me, Mama

""You have a mildly retarded little girl."

When author Micky Wever heard the final diagnosis of her daughter Brennan, she and her family were anguished. Still they refused to allow challenges to hinder the growth and joys in the life of their child Brenan.

Why Me, Mama is a memoir that takes the family and the reader on journeys to remember from Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland, Southeast Asia, and then to California (with forays to India). Wever shares her stinging tears, heartaches, struggles, and times of triumphs of Brenan, her special child--along with moments of rejoicing. It tells about lessons in flexibility and searching a path of acceptance, also the chronicle of a mother's celebration of her daughter's accomplishments and insight.

The author's purpose for writing Why Me, Mama is to reach out to those who are raising children with disabilities. She hopes to help people feel the gift of having a disabled child. The disabled did not ask for these limitations. For people with disabilities, it is a lifetime struggle. They need an abundance of encouragement. Thus, parents and family members should learn how to emphasize the strength of these children and help them achieve goals that are within their capabilities.

Wever doesn't claim to have all the answers. There is no perfect pattern for raising disabled children. But she points out the importance of being willing to live with uncertainties, to have faith, and to make a difference with love, compassion, and perseverance.