Re: Fortified by love | Review | The Observer

[Guest guest]

This book hits me square in the face every time i go to my local

ASDA. Its right on the shelf as you walk in. I have never had

the " courage " to read more than the cover as i feared being horribly

depressed if i read it.

Think i might buy it now, as i am curious about how this

couple " survived " the death of their beautiful little boy.

>

> _Click here: Fortified by love | Review | The Observer_

> (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1978250,00.html)

>

> Ollie, Venables's deeply moving story about his autistic

son, is a

> celebration of a joyful life, says Toms

>

> Sunday December 24, 2006

> _The Observer_ (http://www.observer.co.uk/)

>

>

> _Buy Ollie at the Guardian bookshop_

> (http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?

ISBN=9780091800253)

> Ollie

> by Venables

> Arrow Books, £6.99

> Ollie is the story of a special boy and his heartbreaking, unlucky

struggle

> with constant illness. At the beginning of his life Ollie meets

all the

> milestones: walking, playing and beginning to speak. Then at the

age of two, after

> a series of viral infections and the MMR vaccination, he

withdraws,

> gradually losing his speech completely.

> Ollie is diagnosed with autism, and in a cruel progression

develops leukaemia

> at five, a brain tumour at 12 and finally a lethal virus that

kills him a

> few months later. This book is also the deeply moving testimony

of how his

> parents survived their own 12-and-a-half-year nightmare, still

together, able to

> love and care for each other.

>

> Fortified by wine and comedy videos, Ollie's father

Venables, the

> author and a leading mountaineer, and mother Rosie fought for the

best

> education and treatment. They made a formidable team, conquering

huge bureaucratic

> hurdles, campaigning for money for support workers and costly

places at

> special-needs schools.

>

> But this is not a Casualty script; there are no neat plot lines.

Indeed as

> well as making a moving story for anyone, the high level of detail

in this book

> should make it an invaluable tool for other parents of autistic

children.

> Yet it is also a record of and Rosie's mistakes, the story

of how two

> people muddling along trying to do the best for their child and

often

> changed their minds about what was best for their family. They

could have abandoned

> Ollie altogether but they never gave up loving him and fighting

for him.

> Eventually they made the harrowing decision to send Ollie to a

residential

> school for 52 weeks a year, returning home on alternate weekends.

Then came

> perhaps the most difficult decision of all - that he would not

join them on

> Christmas Day. The problem was that everyone - Ollie included -

founded it

> distressing. People with autism are upset by changes in routine.

He expected his

> home to be as it was at weekends and simply could not cope. When

his parents

> backtracked because they found his absence too upsetting it was

too late -

> Ollie did not live to see another Christmas. To put their

mistakes on display in

> such a way is enriching. It should help all those who think they

are bad

> parents, encourage everyone to be less judgmental when confronted

by a screaming

> child, and, it's to be hoped, less wary of people with special

needs.

> Stories of hospital vigils can make nauseating reading, and the

more so amid

> a seemingly endless round of injections, chemotherapy and

operations. But

> even as Ollie's life ends, Venables's book is not

depressing. It is a

> celebration of a joyful life. Now that Ollie is resting in peace,

one hopes the

> Venables family can do so too.

>

[Guest guest]

it's a beautiful book. But I found it just unbearably sad despite the

strength of him and his parents. Not one for when you need a boost.

> >

> > _Click here: Fortified by love | Review | The Observer_

> > (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1978250,00.html)

> >

> > Ollie, Venables's deeply moving story about his autistic

> son, is a

> > celebration of a joyful life, says Toms

> >

> > Sunday December 24, 2006

> > _The Observer_ (http://www.observer.co.uk/)

> >

> >

> > _Buy Ollie at the Guardian bookshop_

> > (http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?

> ISBN=9780091800253)

> > Ollie

> > by Venables

> > Arrow Books, £6.99

> > Ollie is the story of a special boy and his heartbreaking, unlucky

> struggle

> > with constant illness. At the beginning of his life Ollie meets

> all the

> > milestones: walking, playing and beginning to speak. Then at the

> age of two, after

> > a series of viral infections and the MMR vaccination, he

> withdraws,

> > gradually losing his speech completely.

> > Ollie is diagnosed with autism, and in a cruel progression

> develops leukaemia

> > at five, a brain tumour at 12 and finally a lethal virus that

> kills him a

> > few months later. This book is also the deeply moving testimony

> of how his

> > parents survived their own 12-and-a-half-year nightmare, still

> together, able to

> > love and care for each other.

> >

> > Fortified by wine and comedy videos, Ollie's father

> Venables, the

> > author and a leading mountaineer, and mother Rosie fought for the

> best

> > education and treatment. They made a formidable team, conquering

> huge bureaucratic

> > hurdles, campaigning for money for support workers and costly

> places at

> > special-needs schools.

> >

> > But this is not a Casualty script; there are no neat plot lines.

> Indeed as

> > well as making a moving story for anyone, the high level of detail

> in this book

> > should make it an invaluable tool for other parents of autistic

> children.

> > Yet it is also a record of and Rosie's mistakes, the story

> of how two

> > people muddling along trying to do the best for their child and

> often

> > changed their minds about what was best for their family. They

> could have abandoned

> > Ollie altogether but they never gave up loving him and fighting

> for him.

> > Eventually they made the harrowing decision to send Ollie to a

> residential

> > school for 52 weeks a year, returning home on alternate weekends.

> Then came

> > perhaps the most difficult decision of all - that he would not

> join them on

> > Christmas Day. The problem was that everyone - Ollie included -

> founded it

> > distressing. People with autism are upset by changes in routine.

> He expected his

> > home to be as it was at weekends and simply could not cope. When

> his parents

> > backtracked because they found his absence too upsetting it was

> too late -

> > Ollie did not live to see another Christmas. To put their

> mistakes on display in

> > such a way is enriching. It should help all those who think they

> are bad

> > parents, encourage everyone to be less judgmental when confronted

> by a screaming

> > child, and, it's to be hoped, less wary of people with special

> needs.

> > Stories of hospital vigils can make nauseating reading, and the

> more so amid

> > a seemingly endless round of injections, chemotherapy and

> operations. But

> > even as Ollie's life ends, Venables's book is not

> depressing. It is a

> > celebration of a joyful life. Now that Ollie is resting in peace,

> one hopes the

> > Venables family can do so too.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you for posting this link. I am writing with a lump in my

throat. There are several of us here who had the pleasure of meeting

Rosie Venables and who feel that they knew little Ollie too, as we

shared online some of his happy as well as his painful moments. What

a beautiful boy he was!

If you are still reading Rosie, warmest regards to you and

congratulations to for having the courage to put your story

down on paper. I will be buying this book.

Sharon

>

> _Click here: Fortified by love | Review | The Observer_

> (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1978250,00.html)

>

> Ollie, Venables's deeply moving story about his autistic

son, is a

> celebration of a joyful life, says Toms

>

> Sunday December 24, 2006

> _The Observer_ (http://www.observer.co.uk/)

>

>

> _Buy Ollie at the Guardian bookshop_

> (http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?

ISBN=9780091800253)

> Ollie

> by Venables

> Arrow Books, £6.99

> Ollie is the story of a special boy and his heartbreaking, unlucky

struggle

> with constant illness. At the beginning of his life Ollie meets all

the

> milestones: walking, playing and beginning to speak. Then at the

age of two, after

> a series of viral infections and the MMR vaccination, he

withdraws,

> gradually losing his speech completely.

> Ollie is diagnosed with autism, and in a cruel progression develops

leukaemia

> at five, a brain tumour at 12 and finally a lethal virus that

kills him a

> few months later. This book is also the deeply moving testimony of

how his

> parents survived their own 12-and-a-half-year nightmare, still

together, able to

> love and care for each other.

>

> Fortified by wine and comedy videos, Ollie's father

Venables, the

> author and a leading mountaineer, and mother Rosie fought for the

best

> education and treatment. They made a formidable team, conquering

huge bureaucratic

> hurdles, campaigning for money for support workers and costly

places at

> special-needs schools.

>

> But this is not a Casualty script; there are no neat plot lines.

Indeed as

> well as making a moving story for anyone, the high level of detail

in this book

> should make it an invaluable tool for other parents of autistic

children.

> Yet it is also a record of and Rosie's mistakes, the story

of how two

> people muddling along trying to do the best for their child and

often

> changed their minds about what was best for their family. They

could have abandoned

> Ollie altogether but they never gave up loving him and fighting

for him.

> Eventually they made the harrowing decision to send Ollie to a

residential

> school for 52 weeks a year, returning home on alternate weekends.

Then came

> perhaps the most difficult decision of all - that he would not join

them on

> Christmas Day. The problem was that everyone - Ollie included -

founded it

> distressing. People with autism are upset by changes in routine. He

expected his

> home to be as it was at weekends and simply could not cope. When

his parents

> backtracked because they found his absence too upsetting it was too

late -

> Ollie did not live to see another Christmas. To put their mistakes

on display in

> such a way is enriching. It should help all those who think they

are bad

> parents, encourage everyone to be less judgmental when confronted

by a screaming

> child, and, it's to be hoped, less wary of people with special

needs.

> Stories of hospital vigils can make nauseating reading, and the

more so amid

> a seemingly endless round of injections, chemotherapy and

operations. But

> even as Ollie's life ends, Venables's book is not

depressing. It is a

> celebration of a joyful life. Now that Ollie is resting in peace,

one hopes the

> Venables family can do so too.

>