My Friends Call Me Carol

Freedom How the word rings People are captives in different ways; all struggle for freedom. Virginia Carol Morgan was captured by a daunting physical disability, cerebral palsy. Her speech and motor abilities were all severely affected. Her loving family, especially her mother, cared for her in the best way they knew how. But it was only when Mrs. Morgan became too ill to care for her that Carol, then in her forties, began the arduous path toward the freedom of independent living. Carol wrote "My Friends Call Me Carol" to encourage others to persevere physically and spiritually against the odds. She tells of the problems she encountered in hospitals when staff didn't have the time to understand her slurred speech or to acknowledge Carol's intelligence. Carol Morgan writes simply and compellingly about the help she received from her family, from her religion, from other cerebral palsy patients, and from the staff of programs that encouraged her to learn the skills she needed to become relatively independent. The result is a stirring story of determination and sheer grit that inspires readers to tackle the problems that block the road to "Freedom House."