This is a story of how miracles DO happen.
How courage and a never-give-up spirit can emerge victorious.
How an engaging little monkey helped change a family’s life.
Ellen Rogers considered herself something of a tragedy snob. The single mother of five believed she could weather any storm, that she could keep her family from harm with fortitude and grace. But nothing could have prepared her for the June 2005 car accident that left her son, Ned—then 22 years old—fighting for his life.
Ellen refused to give in to despair. We’ll get through this , she told herself. We have to . But love and determination can only go so far, and the road home was fraught with obstacles. Ellen and Ned took comfort in family and friends. And they prayed for a miracle.
Miracles happen to those who believe , the saying goes, but who would have believed that one family’s “miracle” would weigh in at five pounds sopping wet Then Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled provided Ned with an affectionate and intelligent service animal with a steadfast devotion to hierarchy, a longing for “spa days,” and a craving for Gummi Bears. In other words, a diva.
Life with Kasey was yet another challenge for this large and lively family, but they persevered as families do, and in time this wise and sensitive animal did more than help Ned cope with his disabilities—she turned the simple tasks of life into a life worth living. Kasey’s astonishing intelligence and compassion brought hope and laughter back to a family facing its greatest challenge, and helped them see the world in a new way.

Ellen Rogers

New York: Hyperion

Hyperion Press

Miramax Books

Voice

United States, United States of America

1st ed, New York, c2010

PS, 2010

You can't get there from here -- When you're going through hell ... keep going -- Coming up for air -- Meanwhile, back at the monkey college -- Stranger things have happened -- Natural habitats -- No place like home -- Help wanted -- What doesn't kill you ... -- Monkey in the house -- Learning curve -- Fa la la la la -- Queen of the jungle -- Room for hope -- Stocks and bonds -- With friends like this ... -- No pain, no gain -- Just before dawn -- Of moms and men -- The first day of the rest of your life -- Amazing grace -- Afterword by Ned Sullivan -- A note from Megan Talbert -- Helping Hands missing statement
In this memoir, Ellen Rogers paints a vivid portrait of a large and loving family and the challenges that they face together. She shares the low points (the phone call that changed her son's life), the high points (the monkey play that led to Ned's increased mobility), and the strangely in-between (bathing Kasey in the kitchen sink) with equal parts heart and humor

2023-06-28