Tuesday's Child

When journalist Kathy Evans wrote what was to become an award winning series of articles about the birth of her third child, Caoimhe, she was inundated with responses.
Kathy and her partner, Conor, had spent months agonising over whether to have a third child. Then, at 35, Kathy decided it was now or never. When Caoimhe was born there was nothing to suggest anything was wrong. The following day a midwife boldly told Kathy her baby had Down syndrome.
Tuesday's Childtells of Kathy's journey through shock, anger and grief to, ultimately, a kind of acceptance. From the bombshell of diagnosis-the defining moment that was to reshape her life-she charts her initial odsession with Why! the impact on the family, the often hurtful,ignorant responses of strangers, and, most importantly of all, the battle to reclaim Caoimhe as an individual, not just a "Down's child"


This was actually the first book i bought when i found out prenantely that Amarli had ds. It actually hepled me heaps

For me personally, I have decided not to read this book (someone gave it to me at the beginning of last year) because it sounds too negative and not related to my experience at all.

Glad to hear it's been helpful to someone

Cas

Cathy Evans had 2 essays published which are in this book - and I thought they were fabulous - Pure Love and Tuesday's child.

I was disappointed when reading the rest of the book as she seemed to definitely be either on a 'pity drive' or deliberating misrepresenting stuff as a journo for publicity. For some reason I was particularly annoyed with her rant about kids with DS not being used as 'models' etc - I guess because I think there is enough prejudice against our kids - I thought she would have been better celebrating the achievements of some of the kids with DS who DO get to 'model' etc - like Emma Sage in USA in Toys R Us catalogue or Matilda in Sydney who was in the Toys R Us catalogue last year (in a hideous pink girls room!) or Sophie from Sydney who is on the Wiggles Getting Strong dvd - and these are just the little ones that I have heard about becasue they go the same EI as Hannah.

She was also very negative about EI in a way that I thought was again more of an emotional rant than anything else - not that I think youe HAVE to go to EI - I just felt that she had a responsibilty to 'discuss' the issue more fully.

Still I absolutely loved those essays - especially the one where her little girl turns 1 - I read that essay around the time Hannah was approaching 1 too. The essays were available on line if anyone doesn't want to buy the whole book.

Yes Cathy Evans did get on the "poor me" bandwagon abit too much. But this was the first book that i came across when i found out so i really didnt know what to expect. I'm not one to dwell on the "why me" so that part of it didnt really bother me i think i just read it to sort of connect to someone, if that makes sense. I did like that she was pretty open with how she felt. And yes i loved the poems too

At some stage i will read it again now that i have had Amarli and i will probably look at it in a whole new light.

I was given this book for Mother's Day last year and finally finished it in December last year.

I have to say I found it somewhat reassuring at the beginning when she was talking about how she handled the diagnosis and the impact it had on her as firstly a woman and then a mother. But as I read on I found it harder and harder to read.

Both DH and I agree that as the book went on she got more and more negative. It seemed to us that she hasn't quite come to terms with her daughter (no way I can spell her name ) having DS.

Would be interesting to see how she is coping, now that some time has passed.....

Quote :

I have to say I found it somewhat reassuring at the beginning when she was talking about how she handled the diagnosis and the impact it had on her as firstly a woman and then a mother. But as I read on I found it harder and harder to read.

That is how my mum and I both felt. I haven’t finished it nor has my mother.
I found that when she started to talk about the midwife and how she looked i felt very uneasy reading that. From there is just seemed to get worse.
Ladybug I think you and your DH are onto the right track. Maybe she should have waited to write her book, lets hope it has helped her