FETAL ALCOHOL
by
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The dream seemed so real! “Mommy--Mommy”, my seventeen year old son cried as he was being led by a policeman to a small room; gleaming white walls surrounding a table with several sets of straps over white sheets. It was an electric chair. I was walking fast behind him sobbing and helpless. “Mommy, don’t let them kill me”, he pleaded, glancing back at me with terrified eyes. That frightened look brought a chill to my body as tears streamed down my cheeks. My son in a man’s body with a child’s mind, wracked with all the abnormalities inwardly and outwardly, the results of prenatal alcohol on his tiny developing brain.
I jumped out of bed, sweating profusely with a heartbeat as loud and as fast as a tractor’s motor! In the dream, I didn’t know exactly what he had done to bring him to this terrible place. But, I knew that it must have been very serious, very severe, and I, his mother, never felt more helpless than this during my entire life. In reality, he had been in court that day for throwing a piece of concrete and hitting a female staff at the group home where he resided and she had filed charges against him. I do not believe that staff should file charges for when they are hired working in homes as my son’s home, they are aware of the fact that these incidents are a possibility.
Although our son was on high doses of psychotropic drugs to help him control his behaviors, he continued to have very little impulse control. He also was always very remorseful after he had hurt anyone. He had been evaluated at a large hospital at puberty when his behaviors escalated immensely.
This nightmare still haunts me every time the phone rings. It haunts me in my sleep as well. It haunts me in every dream I dream about him. I always fear that my son, adopted at the age of five years, will someday do something so serious that my nightmare could become a reality. This happened over seven years ago. It seems like it was yesterday.
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About the Book
Irene’s book, Fetal Alcohol, is a poignant look at the struggles, hopes and joys of living in the world of special children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. It is a testament to what love, persistence and structure can do to address the life-long impact of this often devastating disorder. Ms. Irene speaks from the position of knowledge and, most importantly, from the perspective of daily life in working and living with children with this disability.
I have known Ms. Irene for over 10 years. In that time, her humor and commitment to caring have been most striking. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, despite its high rate of occurrence, is not often understood and those affected are often misjudged. Ms. Irene’s love and commitment to her children, along with a strong dose of reality and humor, make this book a gift for all. Hopefully, people will take the time to become acquainted with Ms. Irene and her children. Such acquaintance can only make all of our lives more richer.
Robin A. LaDue,
PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Seattle, WA
About the Author
MOM IRENE is a parent, grandparent and great-grandparent. She has eight adopted special needs young adults, 2 who have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, about which this book is about. Her day to day experiences first hand and years of research and learning about this condition make her a parent-professional in the field. Her connection with doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers and other professionals in this area of expertise is helpful to others who are interested in FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) or its effects, written with both knowledge and a lot of obvious love for her two affected sons along with a bit of humor, this book is special reading besides being full of pictures.