About Donald: A story of living with Mental Handicap

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This is a story that concentrates on the challenges faced by the handicapped person as well as everyone interacting and living with them. It covers the various emotions, including denial and despair, parents go through when facing situations for which they feel totally unprepared. The book describes a road paved with the difficulties encountered in dealings with medical professionals, the education system, social workers, friends and family. It talks about the extensive repercussions in the parents’ life - the gradual withdrawal from social events, the loneliness, guilt and depression, the impact on the daily life of the entire family, the endless discussions, and resulting tensions and solitude as they try to come to terms with this unexpected adversity in their lives.

The author, Ruaidhri Begg, concludes that to have handicap in a family renders the entire family handicapped for life. However, parents forewarned can take steps to ease their situation.