MERMAID A Memoir of Resilience: Washington Post Review

by | Feb 14, 2014

Mermaid A Memoir of Resilience

Eileen Cronin was 3 years old when she noticed that, unlike her siblings, she had no legs. Like most thalidomide survivors in the United States, Eileen was told by her mother that her disability was God’s will. She only discovered the true cause of her birth defects later in life.

Eileen’s new book, “MERMAID A Memoir of Resistance” was recently reviewed by the Washington Post

Eileen is a member of US Thalidomide Survivors, a nonprofit that supports people with birth defects caused by their mother taking thalidomide, a sleeping pill, in early pregnancy.

Read the Washington Post review.

John Marshall

Most of us participated in a guided tour of the US Capitol Building. Most impressive, in my opinion, was the Rotunda, the infamous domed circular room in the center of the Capitol. The historical paintings i.e., the Declaration of Independence along with the statues and busts of former presidents were impressive. BUT no one could resist looking up!

The conference was a jam-packed three days ending with a “roaming” dinner in the hotel. The term is used lightly, as it turns out, we have a party animal in our midst. Our fearless leader, JoJo Calora, had quite the set-up in his room. He had karaoke goin’ on. He also cranked up the tunes and blasted out heavy metal! Did you know there’s a song about thalidomide? It’s called “Prescribing Horror” by Exodus. You shouldn’t listen to it before you go to sleep. LOL! Fortunately, no neighbors complained, and fun was had by all. Although there was food, snacks, and drinks in three other rooms, people didn’t roam much. JoJo had the fun room! Can’t wait for next year!

Robert Gamble, JoJo and Elizabeth

 

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