A Portrait of Love, Courage, and Hope
by Michele Ranard, M.Ed.
310 words
Is someone in your family struggling with mental illness? Do you know a family who is? The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes (Algonquin Books) is a title by Randi Davenport which gives voice to the experiences of thousands of families who struggle with this invisible health issue.
Davenport's memoir of living the nightmare and miracle of parenting a son with an unnamable mental illness was so intense and moving, I am recommending it to every parent who has given birth to an imperfect child or knows someone who has (the last time I checked, that would include just about EVERY EARTHLING).
The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes is deeply affecting and filled this professional counselor and parent with profound compassion.
The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes is deeply affecting and filled this professional counselor and parent with profound compassion.
The story of Davenport's son Chase is one of helplessness, hope, and courage. Imagine the grief and challenge as your young boy spirals downward (seizures, psychosis, schizophrenia) with each passing year. Imagine the distress of receiving little definitive explanation from experts in order to properly treat and care for him. Imagine the heartbreak of your adolescent no longer recognizing your face.
Every family coping with mental illness deserves the treasure of this book, and everyone who knows a family coping should own it as well. We learn more about not only the pitfalls of the American mental health care system, but about the power of a single parent's advocacy to make her family once again whole.
The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes is a tale that may broaden your vision of what it means to love as if you cannot be hurt. It raised my awareness about mental conditions which refuse to be defined, and it inspired me to spread the word so others might explore its stormy beautiful bittersweetness.
For more information regarding children's mental health, visit the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health at http://ffcmh.org/.
Michele Ranard has a husband, two sons, and a master's degree in counseling. Visit her at hellolovelychild.blogspot.com.
Michele Ranard has a husband, two sons, and a master's degree in counseling. Visit her at hellolovelychild.blogspot.com.
