By the time you finish the introduction to Miriam Edelson’s book, Battle Cries, you know you have found someone very special. Miriam is a working mother, raising a family, including a child with a disability, an activist, and an author. That would be more than most of us could handle, but this book becomes all the more remarkable when you realize her son Jake, who was born with a serious neurological disorder, died while she was writing it. This book is a testament not only to how much she loved her own child but her devotion to helping special needs children find a welcoming place in this world.

This book not only introduces you to Miriam’s life and her family, but that of eight other families dealing with a special needs children. In addition to examining the practical, social and political issues of raising a disabled child, it provides a unique glimpse into the workings of the Canadian health care system.

Miriam says, “Getting to know an individual whose life is different from our own leads us to a more complete understanding not only of that person’s challenges and dreams but of the world around us---the society we live in.” She then introduces us to Mary Ellen and her son Jeremy. Jeremy was born with Down Syndrome. What you see is a young man of sixteen doing many of the things all teens his age do, attending high school, swimming with a team after school, and attending a teen social on Friday nights. You also see a young man who is struggling to learn how to navigate the public transportation system. You see a family trying to balance the needs of this child with the ones of their other child. A mother who worries about who will care for her child when she no longer can.

Next, you meet Sharon and her daughter Shannon. Shannon, the oldest of three children was born with cerebral palsy. You watch Sharon struggle to get an accurate diagnosis for her daughter and her frustration with inadequate information and misdiagnosis from the doctors. The toll traveling long distance to get necessary services took. Nevertheless, despite the challenges Sharon says, “Shannon’s disability is not a hindrance. I am now able to see that. It is the opposite…. It has taught my husband, me and my other children a whole lot more than we have ever known. I fully believe Shannon was a gift to us. Through all the dreadful experiences, all of the pain, all of the triumphs and setbacks, she’s bounced back. She has taught us so much, given us a wealth of knowledge about life.”


Mathieu has two children with severe hearing loss, Aude Catherine and Vincent. When his daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss at 8 weeks, he and his wife jumped right in providing her with all the special programs she needed even though no one in their family had any hearing impairment. When their son Vincent was born, they were unprepared to discover he too suffered from hearing loss. They had already had three years of dealing with the special challenges hearing loss brought with Aude Catherine, they now knew they would face these same challenges with Vincent. They discovered that they could not give Vincent the same level of involvement as they had Aude Catherine. Their time was now split between two children and the increased housekeeping two children create. One interesting thing Mathieu explained was that “The kids communicate without words, they read each others lips.” they mouth the words without sound. “No one can follow them. They have a private understanding.”

Colleen’s son Johnny was born with Trisomy 18. Most children with Trisomy 18 fail to thrive, dying in the month of their life. Ninety percent of those who survive the first month die before their first birthday. Johnny, at age thirteen, has lived long past his expected lifespan. The twenty-four hour, seven day a week care that Johnny requires has taken a toll on her marriage and family. Colleen has had to learn to balance Johnny’s needs with those of her own. Colleen has felt it was her duty as a mother to protect Johnny’s sister Krystal from the constant level of stress there is in the home. She said, “Krystal was very angry at God for making her brother the way he is…I got her to understand that God is the reason Johnny is still here.” Johnny has provided Colleen with a purpose in life, “Johnny cant physically advocate for himself, but he inspires me and motivates me to do what needs to be done…on behalf of so many people living with disabilities.”

These are just a few of the families Miriam Edelson profile in her book. Each one provides a face to disabilities that were just words before. As you read through the book you begin to understand the challenges each family faces dealing with the myriad of social and political issues. The constant battle to get funding for the programs their children need. But you also see how each of these families manages to tackle far more than you thought was possible. For each person who thinks they don’t have time to advocate for causes they care about, these families, and Mrs. Edelson’s life, are an inspiration.