Leap Year - see you in four years

Today is February 29, 2012-

I didn’t want another year to go past without me acknowledging the date. I don’t remember ever writing the Leap Day date anywhere be it on a check or nurse’s notes I just have no knowledge of saying “well it is a Leap Year and let’s say woo-who". Well this year I am stating it is a Leap Year and I am glad to be here to celebrate it.

Tourette Syndrome and the Federal Government

The following statement is one that I will me submitting to "You Can Help Promote Federal Legislation for Tourette Syndrome"
let me know what you think
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I do not know where to begin but because there are so many persons affected by Tourette Syndrome, I will try to explain my predicament. My son who is 32 years old is where my story begins. From a very early time, we sought help with our son, when he was 2 years old we discussed his behavior with a Child Psychologist and were given the diagnosis of “stormy personality.” We were told we would have to learn to live with his disruptive behavior and his other odd symptoms. Later we sought out several different Therapists to help us understand and to help our son with his struggles.  However we never got a diagnosis we were just placated so they could get us out of the office. At the age of 9 years, I turned to a doctor that dealt with allergies. I was told by this doctor that “if Mother thinks there is something wrong” we will do some testing. We suffered years of stress and aggravations with our son still struggling through his childhood building memories that continue to haunt him. His childhood was filled with sorrow and confusion, which has led to chronic depression. He was unable to leave home until he was 28 years old. At the time, very few Doctors had the expertise to diagnose or assist us to understand my son’s behavior. I knew throughout my son’s life that he was not a normal child but because of the lack of education of doctors, nurses, therapist, teachers, and others that should be trained in the Signs & Symptoms of Tourette Syndrome, my son did not receive the diagnosis in a timely manner. He is still working through the trauma of growing up without a diagnosis. When my son turned 10 years old, his tics and vocalizations became so severe that our Pediatrician finally gave us the diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome. Unfortunately, there was very little information published dealing with T.S.; I went to a local college and hospital medical library to obtain information so that I could understand and finally begin to help my son. I only found a copy of a Magazine article that vaguely described T.S. What did change my life was while visiting his first Physician – a child Neurologist I discovered a 3x5 card with the phone number of our State Tourette Syndrome Association. Finally, after 10 years of unyielding struggles I found someone that understood my son and why he was doing what he did. Education was and still is the MAJOR core idea of this association (Pennsylvania Tourette Syndrome Alliance). As I said, my son is 32 years old and still struggles with T.S. but because of the assistance of all the organizations that care for children and adults BLAST, PARENT to PARENT, Center for Disability Services and others that now exist our journey has been made easier. However, we need to grow and advance in the field of medicine that deals with the Tourette patient as a whole. We cannot have a narrow vision- seeing only “a cure” for Tourette Syndrome or honing our skills on finding the “Gene” so we can eliminate those with “the Gene” from ever being born.

My son’s needs are going to continue, his Tourette Syndrome will last a lifetime. Sadly, both my son and daughter are very reluctant to have any children of their own because of the experience we had obtaining help for our son’s medical and psychological care. What does that say about our society that our children fear what should be the greatest joy of a person’s life. I must add that my son has stated he knows that Tourette Syndrome has made him the person he has become. He is an artist; he uses his art to express his inner demons.

What I want is a system that strives to have early diagnosis, Doctors, and counselors to aid the family so everyone can understand why the child behaves in a specific manner.  A way to educate those who will come in contact with those that are given the Tourette Syndrome diagnosis- family, teachers, other children, health care workers, law enforcement and so on. Diagnosis, education, and treatment for those that desire help.

If only I could hear it said...

Mom's Story on the Yellow Pad

The following story was found by the family after Mom died almost five years ago. The family noticed a yellow legal pad with some writing on it but it was lost until recently when Mary Ann discovered she had put it in a desk drawer in her home. I do have hours of  video recordings dealing with Mom's life story but the information in the following story is new data never discussed anyone else in the family so read and enjoy. Sadly it is still unfinished.

A Story Begun but Never Finished

"Catherine Maloney came to Philadelphia in 1888 at age 16.  She left her mother and father behind in a small village in County Galway, Ireland.  Her father was a boot maker.  It is not known whether there were other children at home.  She had one sister, Cecelia, who had come to America some years before.  Cecelia was already an apprentice to a dressmaker and it was easy to place “Kate” in the same position. Sometime later, Kate found a position as nursemaid for the children of the wealthy Pew family of Philadelphia.  She spent several years with them, going to Bar Harbor, Maine for the summers and spending the winter in Philadelphia.

     Kate met and married John Lynch in Philadelphia early in 1893.  Very little is known of the Lynch’s except that they also came from Galway some years earlier.  The family had a thriving business in the Grower’s Market which John ran for the family.  He had a sister, Margaret and several others who had died quite young of tuberculosis.   They settled into a nice home and were very happy.  Their first son, William, died in 1896.  Daughter Marie was born in 1897 and Anna Elizabeth in 1899. John Lynch contracted tuberculosis in 1896 and died December 31, 1898.  Anna was born January 17, 1899. 

     John Lynch had left them with a home and some income.  He had belonged to a men’s club called “The 6:30 Club” so named that because they met at 6:30 pm.  Apparently he had many friends, one of them, George Martin, called on Kate and within a very short time they married.  He was a supervisor with the Philadelphia Transit Company.  They had six children; Edna, George, Edward, Herbert, Catherine and Alice.  A close family, Kate was more likely to stay at home.  The older daughters had the responsibility of the younger ones.  Friends played a big part in their life.  They worked hard but they were full of fun.  Because of her experience with the Pew family, Kate set a fine table, the children watched their manners because Kate was behind them with a ruler.  George was her favorite and according to stories, was given the choice foods.  Father George adored Kate.  He was a gentle man and Kate ran the show.  We must remember that life was hard, no electricity, no running water, privies, or out houses, horse and buggy, cold houses, no refrigeration.  You made your own clothes, bought bread at a bakery, milk by the pitcher beer bought by the jug.  Clothes were washed by hand with water heated on the coal stove.  Baths were once a week and hair was washed once a month.  Women’s hair was long and it was a chore just to dry it.

     After some school, finishing was not required, so the children all went to work.  Most in the department stores.  Marie was first to marry.  Edward McBrearty was her choice.  A plasterer by trade.  They had four children, Edward, Marie, Theresa and Jackie.  Anna, meanwhile, was hit by a truck.  She suffered a broken back and was in bed for three years.  There was a cash settlement but when Anna claimed it, Kate gave her a few hundred dollars and took the rest to buy a piano for Catherine.  Major blow!  Kate reasoned that she had kept her and was entitled to room and board!  Anna suffered most of her life.  Her face was scarred and for that reason she wore her hair in a “dip” over her right eye.  She met and married Donald McKernan. 

     Very little is known of his family.  His father, Thomas, came from Northern Ireland with his family about the time that Kate came over.  Donald’s mother, Ellen Donnelly lived in Conshohocken a small town outside of Philadelphia proper.  Her family had been here for at least one generation as she was born here.  She had two sisters, Catherine and Elizabeth and two half sisters, Margaret and Mary.  Of the five, only two married, Ellen and Kate.  Thomas and Ellen had two businesses  a plumbing company and a candy store.  They were quite prosperous.  His brother, Mike, had a seat on the Philadelphia stock exchange.  The family lost a substantial amount of money in the crash of 1929.  The children of Thomas and Ellen all finished high school.  All played a musical instrument.  Donald, the violin, Thomas, trumpet, Eleanor, piano.  All were bright.  Thomas played trumpet with Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra for many years when he was young. 

     In this family alcoholism reared its ugly head.  Eleanor and Thomas and also the father.  There was no history of this illness in the mother’s family nor in the family of Anna.  Donald’s family was not a close one.  Ellen died in 1925 of cancer after a long illness.  Thomas died in 1945 at age 79.  His mother lived to be 95. I never saw her.  Eleanor and Donald were two people born to fight with each other.  She lived with her father in S. Philadelphia home left to the children by their mother.  She never married but did have a “companion” Jack Leonard who was a “ne’er do well” and did have a job.  Brother Thomas married and had 3 daughters.  He died in 1964 of alcoholism. The daughter of Kate Donnelly Eschback are still living in  Philadelphia as is their brother..  His son is a a Monsignor in the Catholic church in Philadelphia.  Whether Eleanor is still living is not known.

     Anna and Donald were married in 1924 at a fine wedding and started life in an apartment in Philadelphia.  He was a sales manager for a vacuum cleaner company.  Their first child, a daughter, Regina was born in 1925.  A son, Donald was born in 1927.  It would appear that for the first few years they were comfortable.  In 1929 the stock market crashed and with it any hope of a future for a great many people.  Jobs were hard to get and to keep.  Men took what they could get.  Donald took a job traveling.  Ann Claire was born in 1929 and Robert in 1932.  Life was not easy.  Feeding, clothing four children proved difficult.  Many times between 1930 and 1942 we moved back to the family home.  This was very embarrassing to Anna.  She had her pride.  But the reasoning was that rather than pile up debts for rent they would go back to the home that really belonged to Donald and the others.  We lived very simply, when in our own home, we always lived nice places, descent neighborhoods.  We all loved the outdoors.  Anna’s family stayed close and with a few close friends that constituted our social life.  We had many cousins and spent a great deal of time with them.  

     Edna married a Samuel Wayman and they had two children, Joan and Samuel.  He was also a traveling salesman.  He made a good living at it but was also an alcoholic.  This trait later showed up in the daughter Joan.  Edward married young and was soon divorced.  The only divorce the family experienced.  He later moved to California and married a Jewish woman and turned to Judaism.  Herbrert married young, to a real “flake” named Laura.  She proceeded to make his life miserable. Catherine died in 1941 of pneumonia at age 29 due to a heart condition.  Alice also married young.  Alice who they all loved.  She is living yet and has the same sunny disposition she always had.  She married a man who later became a fire fighter.  They had three sons.  William, Raymond and ?.  Raymond lives in Ohio owning his own franchise for Otis Elevators.  Bill works in Washington and travels all over the world.  George married a fine woman, Dot, they had four children, Katherine, George, Miriam and Dotty.  After George Martin died Kate sold their home and moved in with George.

     Herbert and Edward died in 1988 as did Edna.  Edna’s daughter, Joan moved to California after the death of her first husband in a fiery crash of his plane in a Navy show.  He left three children.  Joan remarried twice after that and turned to alcohol.  She died in 1987 at the age of 57.   Sam moved to Whitefish Montana.  He married a wealthy woman.  He is a stock broker.

     Anna’s sister, Marie, died in 1965.  She as a severe diabetic and also had an alcohol problem.  She was the only one in the family.  Her daughter, Theresa died of complications of child birth at age 25.  Her oldest son, Edward has been in ill health for years.  Daughter Marie, unlike her brother Edward, enjoys good health.  Son John is a practicing clinical psychologist , Ph.D. in Philadelphia.  They all kept in touch during the years even though they were at great distances from one another.

     Anna and Donald moved from Philadelphia in 1942 to Williamsport, where he managed a furniture store.  There had been previous moves also to Harrisburg where their fifth child, Richard was born and then back to Philadelphia  and then to Williamsport.   Donald became active in Catholic affairs, joined the Rotary Club and otherwise enjoyed the community.  Regina graduated from high school and went to work. Donald graduated two years later and in 1946 he joined the US Marine Corps.  He served several years then came home and went to Lycoming College.  Ann Clare went to work after high school.  Bob went also to Lycoming College.  Richard went to Penn State. 

     Meanwhile, Williamsport was built along the Susquehanna River and was subject of floods.  In 1945, after a torrential downpour the water came over the dike and all of downtown was under water.  The store Donald managed was so badly damaged they had to relocate.  He developed arthritis in his hands and feet.  He believed the flood waters and the work involved in moving the store was the cause.  At any rate, his condition worsened.  The store failed and he was again looking for work.  He was hired after many  months by a local printing company as a salesman.  It was on one on the trips out of town that he slipped and broke a hip.  From that time on with the arthritis and the broken hip he was retired. 

     Meanwhile Regina met Vincent Crouse in 1946.  They were engaged in October of 1947 and married in March of 1948.  Vincent’s family was in the funeral business and when he returned from WWII he joined his brother in the business.  They had seven children. Donald, upon graduating from college went for a brief time to work for DuPont in Delaware but he had met Jean Wetzel.   Her father was a realtor and so after their marriage he joined him in his business.  Ann Clare married Francis Paris.  He was not yet finished with college but did join NCR after he graduated.

      Donald’s condition worsened and he was no longer able to work.  Their home needed care and they were unable to care for it.  Vince…."