Miles from the Sideline: A Mother's Journey With Her Special Needs Daughter

By Maura Weis

Book Overview

In this powerful and honest book, Maura Weis, wife of Notre Dame's former football coach Charlie Weis, shares the challenges and blessings of raising their special needs daughter, Hannah. In a moving... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933495030
• ISBN13: 9781933495033
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Sorin Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Heartwarming story

Inspirational and heartwarming story for any family with a special needs child - or any mother! Maura Weis is an incredible woman and shares her story beautifully.

Deftly written memoir

Before the age of two, little Hannah Weis was just like any other toddler. Bright, happy, resilient, and full of laughter. "Miles from the Sideline: A Mother's Journey with her Special Needs Daughter" is the story of what happened in the following decade where her development suddenly slowed, and how her mother, author Maura Weis, has had to deal with all the turmoil and triumph that comes from raising a daughter who just isn't like everyone else in the world, a daughter with special needs. "Miles from the Sideline: A Mother's Journey with her Special Needs Daughter" is a deftly written memoir that is highly recommended for other parents of special needs children and for community library memoir collections.

Inspiring and heartwarming

In the last 5 years I've read as many books as possible on autism and cerebral palsey... as one of my boys is autistic, and the other has CP. Some books lay claims to "curing" these disorders, others walk you through how to deal with schools and therapists... Maura Weis' book walks you through her families journey so incredibly honest and real, that I felt by the end of the book that I, too, had the ability to deal with my son's disabilities - that I am not alone - and that I can find peace in God's plan for these boys. Many of my friends who do not have special needs children, found it inspirational in their own journeys with different crosses they bear in their lives. Thank you, Maura, for sharing your story to help others.

Smiles from the Sideline for Miles from the Sideline

It is rare that I start and finish a book in one sitting. I could not put this one down! Maura Weis shared her experiences as the mother of a special needs child with intense honesty and humility. As she exposed her journey from denial to acceptance, I found myself awed by her transformation from the challenges presented in dealing with her daugher's situation to a spiritual awareness and healing. This metamorphosis allowed Maura to tell her readers why she finds it a privilege to be Hannah's mother. Her accounts transform the reader as well. In the beginning, I could completely understand and relate to the questions she had as a mother. Who to trust? What to do? When to do it? Where to go? Why me or why my child? And as Maura unfolded her story, I also completely understood how she was driven to find the answers to those questions. By the book's end, I was no longer reading Maura's mind, knowing how a mother agonizes for her child and will do anything to make things better. I was peering into her soul, understanding how a mother's love is, indeed, orchestrated by God. It is a symphony of faith, hope, and love. And, as demonstrated by Maura Weis, a mother's love is untiring and indestructible. If you are the parent of a special needs child, this book will no doubt validate all of your utmost concerns and give you incredible hope. And if you are not the parent of a special needs child, this book will give you a new awareness and keen compassion for both the child and the parent. The glimpses of Maura's "black-haired, blue-eyed beauty" will make you long to know Hannah, for you will believe that to know her is to love her. Consider this book a retreat, and a spiritual awakening. It is truly a fabulous read!