Excerpt from Hope for Joshua

Nothing could prepare us for the brutal shock of hearing the word ‘autism’ in conjunction with our child. In one fell swoop, all our hopes and dreams were smashed into a thousand tiny fragments. What was once just a word in the dictionary became a living, breathing part of our lives.

Leaning forward, I searched the doctor’s face, longing for her to offer some shred of hope, or at least a ‘but’ to soften the blow. My mind just couldn’t accept the finality of such a diagnosis. Instead, the neuropsychologist informed us Joshua would probably remain withdrawn, might never talk, never accept human touch, never be able to care for himself. With every word, the knife cut deeper, as though pieces of my heart were being carved out with a dull blade. Unwilling to listen to any more of her “nevers,” I shot from my seat, grabbed my son, and marched out of the room, slamming the door on my way out. We never returned.

 That was the day the specter of autism came to haunt my every waking moment. It even troubled my sleep. That day was also the defining moment when I resolved to do everything in my power to release my son from the bondage of autism. I was not going to sit back and let this intruder hold him captive...

To purchase Hope for Joshua, go to Amazon or you can buy directly from Publisher at www.penitpublications.com