Stuck in Neutral is about a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a disease that causes people to not be able to move any part of the body or even talk. Even with this condition and not being able to talk or walk, Shawn can remember everything he has ever heard. In addition to his cerebral palsy, Shawn suffers from epilepsy seizures. When he is having his seizures, his spirit ‘travels’ and he goes places he wishes he could go when he is not seizing. When Shawn was first born, his father left his family of two other siblings and his mother because he couldn't handle having a special needs child. When Shawn was born his father wrote a poem that got the Pulitzers prize. Then he later went on to write a book about a guy who murdered …show more content…
When his parents are deceased, he will need to get a permanent caregiver. This is something that really weighs down his family. Someone always has to be there to make sure he is as safe as possible during his seizures. They have to make sure that he doesn't hit his head or break anything. Since Shawn always needs a caregiver, this puts a lot of stress on his family. “ Vonda is my respite care provider … she’s a little impatient at my feeding times, and I'm sure when she has to change my diaper, she comes up with better ideas for making six bucks an hour” (102). Vonda struggles with taking care of him and that's her job, thus showing it can be difficult. The final reason is that Shawn can never express how he feels. In the end of the book, when Shawn's dad came to take over Vondas shift, his dad was telling him how much he loved him. All Shawn wanted to do was tell his dad that he loved him back… but couldn't. When his father says “ Shawn I love you, I have always loved you” (107). Shawn says “I know, I love you too only I wish you could hear me for real” (108). The statements between Shawn and his father shows how much Shawn wishes that he could tell his family that he loves
Firstly, the unconditional love and support that Mark and Linda reveal to Joaquin makes him feel at home, despite spending all eighteen years of his life in foster care. In the beginning of the story, Joaquin shares insight about his past experiences growing up without family: “He changed foster homes so many times when he was five years old that he went to three different kindergartens, which meant he managed to dodge that brutal Star of the Week bullet, where kids talked about their homes and families and pets, all the things Joaquin was already painfully aware that he lacked” (34). However, once he meets Mark and Linda, Joaquin can finally catch a breath of air and latch onto the things he wishes he had when he was younger. In addition, Mark and Linda’s devotion to adopt Joaquin presents future steps they are taking to further develop their new family. Joaquin loves Mark and Linda, and wants them to be his parents. However, past mistakes from previous foster homes haunt him; burdening him from the relationships he wants so desperately. He reflects on the idea of calling them Mom and Dad, and contemplates the next steps they have offered to him: “And the truth was that he wanted to call Linda and Mark Mom and Dad. He wanted to so bad that he could feel the unspoken words in his throat. It would be so
Chris McCandless’ relationship with his father was not ideal. Built up resentment caused by unfaithfulness to his mother caused Chris to cut ties with his father. For most of Chris’ life, his father played
Seth was upset that he didn't see his mother more frequently, which affected Seth Garcia’s life development. According to the study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo, a mother nurturing a child in early in life helps the kid to develop a larger hippocampus, the brain region important for learning, memory and stress responses. A mother’s love and presence helps the kid’s positive development, in which, Seth was lacking. To sum it up, due to Jessica not being on Seth side, Seth potentially is suffering from early onset depression, memory and stress response problem, and Seth having ten percent smaller hippocampus compared to a child with a frequent presence of a
untamed freedom to find his true potential. Chris was born in a middle class and loving family.
“Cody Tull, the oldest child and the one most damaged by the failure of his parents’ marriage he becomes an aggressive, quarrelsome efficiency expert.”(Voelker 126) He feels that it his fault that Beck, the father, left. Especially when they bring up the arrow incident. Cody never really feels like a family as he expresses: “You think were a family…when in particles, torn apart, torn all over the place?”(Tyler 294). He never recovers from his father leaving.
Dan and Betsy go through their emotions on hearing about Samuel condition of cerebral palsy. The roll coaster of emotion they felt. As a parent I could relate to their emotion of having a child with disabilities. I would love my child regards of condition but the emotion I would feel would be fear. Dan and Betsy both went through fear; asking themselves what about his education, and interaction with others. I would have those same question; as
He has them followed so she takes the boys and goes into hiding. The family takes residence in a house where the previous family had been murdered, which they are unaware of at the time. A supporting character, the deputy, is on a mission trying to break the cycle of murders that are happening by burning the houses of where the murders took place. The deputy and Courtney become friends after he helps fight off sheriffs that try to take the boys away. During this time Dylan is being shown murder videos by the children of the dead families. Clint eventually gets custody of the boys, and Courtney goes with them so that they will not get separated. While they are all together, Dylan’s brother Zach becomes possessed by the dead children and decides to make a murder video of his own family. Zach kills his father, and attempts to kill his mother and brother, but is stopped by the deputy. In the end, the deputy breaks the cycle of the murders and saves Courtney and Dylan, while Zach is consumed by Bughuul, an evil spirit. The main character’s role can be viewed as an independent mother who does whatever it takes to keep her boys safe. Although the movie doesn’t show it, Courtney was abused by her ex-husband Clint, which is why she left with the boys in the first place. In most films, the main reason for divorce in families is because the husband is abusive.
Laura feels she will never find someone that will take care of her. This is very upsetting because it is obvious that it is very important to everyone in the family.
Lucas was in a car crash in 1962, which ended his racing career before it even started. He missed his graduation ceremony at his high school, but joked that the only reason he got a diploma was because his teachers felt sorry for him. As a result, Lucas looked for other options to fill his void in life. Since his grades were not good enough for a four-year college, he decided to go to junior college. For the first time in his life, he hit the books. He fell asleep trying to earn the highest grades he could in order to have a future for himself.
So how did they turn out different? It is true that both Wes Moore’s grew up without a father, but the way they lost their fathers were completely different. The author, Wes Moore lost his father by a tragic death that could have been prevented. While, the incarcerated Wes Moore’s father was never in his life to begin with. The way they lost their fathers is not the only thing that played a part of the Moore’s turning out differently. The quality traits that their fathers posed also played a role. Both of the fathers had different quality traits. The author’s father was strong, independent, protective, non-abusive, and the list goes on. On the other hand, the incarcerated Wes father was a drunk. So does the way ones father become absent really matter? I believe it does. Would you rather know what happened to your father or have to face the fact that your father never wanted to be a part of your life. As a result of losing their fathers, both Moore’s headed down a path of destruction. But it was family and the memory of his father that guided, the author, Wes Moore in a different
Similar to Ethan when he chooses to stay with Zeena. While I don’t have a wife I have to worry about, I’ve got to worry about my own well being and boy am I bad at that. Being a college student I understand the money struggles, and not being able to do everything (two jobs, and many hours of studying). I will also admit to not being very responsible when the parents are away (no I don’t throw parties, but junk food and video games are more fun). Similar to when Zeena is away Ethan feels a less anxious.
People use the word okay nearly every day. It is a word that everyone knows and uses due to its vast meanings. To be okay, is what Gary D. Schmidt’s novel Okay for Now really tries to get readers to understand. He poses the question: just what does “okay for now” mean? These answers are found through examining the characters in the store. While, okay can mean many different things, being okay means that the person is in a state where while things are not perfect, but they are tolerable and satisfactory and can improve.
Seaburn, D., & Erba, G. (2003). The family experience of "sudden health": the case of intractable epilepsy. Family Process, 42(4), 453-467.
‘Whose life is it anyway?’ follows the story of ‘Ken Harrison’, a man who tries to exercise a choice over his own life or death after being completely paralysed from the head down. Harrison received these horrific injuries after being involved in a car accident 4 months before the story starts. He is now in constant care within the hospitals walls being treated and cared for by the medical profession. The play centres on Harrison’s determination to exercise a choice over his own life or death with the medical bureaucracy fiercely opposing. The play leads as he takes the medical staff to court to try and exercise this right officially.
This scene perfectly shows us how many people seem so overwhelmed by their relatives sickness, they forget who is really suffering and decide to leave so they will not have to deal with that. Quite often friends and relatives of people chronically ill or disabled do not realize how big of an influence they have on the lives of their kindred. Sometimes it seems like it is the families who struggle more than the actual handicapped person.