What About the Boy? A Father's Pledge to His Disabled Son

by Stephen Gallup

Overview

Nobody knew what hurt little Joseph, and no one was offering a way to help him. He cried most of the time, and thrashed about as if in pain. He wasn't learning how to crawl, talk, or interact normally. Doctors told his parents to seek counseling, because nothing could help their son, and the quality of their own lives was at risk. Refusal to accept that advice launched an improbable journey that changed their lives forever. WHAT ABOUT THE BOY? A Father's Pledge to His Disabled Son chronicles a family's rejection of hopelessness and their commitment to the pursuit of a normal life, for themselves and their son.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013079311
Publisher:	http://www.lestrygonianbooks.com/
Publication date:	09/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	376
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Stephen Gallup grew up in North Carolina and Virginia. He studied at NC State University, earning a bachelor's degree in the life sciences, and then at the University of Virginia, where he received a master’s in English.

Although he remains a Southerner at heart, he now lives in California with his family.

Beginning in 1977, he worked in various roles in technical communication in the aerospace and wireless telecommunications industries, with projects ranging from proposals for satellite launches and feasibility studies of space missions, to user guides for trendy new cell phones. In the early years, he wrote occasional short fiction on the side, and features for newspapers.

Gallup’s life changed drastically with the birth of his son Joseph in 1985. Upon learning that there was a problem, he applied his energies to a pursuit of answers that he felt certain must exist. After a year of consulting with physicians to no effect, he located other resources. For the next four years, he and his wife Judy implemented an intensive two-pronged treatment campaign that resulted in dramatic improvements in Joseph’s condition.

His memoir What About the Boy? shows what the family did, and what happened next.

Editorial Reviews

Something close to normalcy is all many people want. What About Boy? A Father’s Pledge to His Disabled Son is a parental memoir from Stephen Gallup as he faces the problems faced by a son, who doesn’t seem to be developing as a boy his age should. Through it all, he pledges never to give up, and this leads the family down a road against all odds. What About the Boy? is a story of never-ending parental devotion and empowerment when facing disabilities.

James Cox

What About the Boy? is an homage to parental love and sacrifice. Judy in particular is a rock, unyielding in her advocacy for Joseph, even with her husband. It is socially relevant, exposing gaps in American medicine and underscoring the need for all parents to be vocal and vigilant when it comes to their children. What About the Boy? is a challenging book, filled with tragedy and determination, high expectations and acceptance.

David Hersman

A story of intermingled triumph and tragedy, What About the Boy? will touch not only those who have dealt with autism or any other disability but also those who have been spared those agonies. In life, agony comes to most of us, but Gallup’s book is a testament to living.

Jay Strafford