Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD

You have heard people say they drove around the block or sat in the garage because they could not stop listening to a book? Well, that actually happened to me with this book. It is well written and performed.Touching and incredible.

This is an amazing human interest story. It shows the resilience of the human mind and body. A mother fighting for the life of her son. Doing incredible amounts of research to find the answer to her son's illness. My heart grieved for the hardship the Mom went through in caring and battling for her son. She went from doctor to doctor until she found the one with the answer that matched her research. You feel the son's pain as he is caught in his many obsessions and tics. It takes him two hours to leave the house, only to have something happen and have to start all over again. She has the patience of Job as she lives with her son and his disability. You see how it impacts the rest of the family too.

This book was written by the mom to share a lot of the information she learned in her journey. She promised God that she would tell others of the help she had found. If you are looking for help with a child who has mental illness this book may give you direction and hope. If you don't, this book is still a great story to listen to. You won't want to stop until it's over. This book is a fascinating real life listen!

Incidentally, my teenagers listened along and really enjoyed it.

The knowledge, the good way of explaining exactly the dicease.

Sammy's speech at his barmitswa

She makes it come alife, she realy had her heart in this, i thought it was her own son she was reading about

Saving Sammy - Rain man is a great film to start with

Very very good, from mother with a 'unique' child THANK YOU!!!!

I don't know if I would listen to this one again, because it was a little sad and stressful, but it was a wonderful, insightful, intelligent look inside the life of a family with a boy struggling with PANDAs. It is extremely well written and read and should do a great job helping to create empathy and support for families struggling with this issue. And if I run into another family dealing with this in the future, I'll pull it out and listen again.

I really felt like the author was telling her own story.

I didn't listen all in one sitting, but I listened as quickly as I could. It was a riveting story.

A very good and important work.

The author's honesty and courage to share her and her son's story.

I have a daughter who struggled with a chronic debilitating illness, not once, but twice - two different illnesses. Local doctors gave up on her and referred us to psychologists and psychiatrists each leading no closer to her getting any better. I too fired and hired countless doctors, also traveling hundreds of miles away from home seeking answers until finally the answers came. I commend Beth Alison Maloney for sharing her and her son's heart breaking and triumphant journey with all mothers (and I suppose many fathers) giving them hope when the medical community seems to present none. It is beautifully written and I was unable to stop the recording until I had completed the entire book. Parents, never, NEVER give up on your child. You are his or her greatest ally!

My experience with OCD is zero. In fact, my experience with mental illness is extremely limited. With this open mind, I delved into Ms. Maloney's harrowing account of her son's sudden onset of OCD and her equally harrowing navigation of the healthcare system as she searched desperately for answers. Although there is much belly-aching by medical professionals over the number of patients who deem themselves healthcare experts after an afternoon on the Internet, this book proves the immense value of research and perseverance. I was impressed by Ms. Maloney's unwillingness to accept the close-minded opinions of some doctors and her insistence on second, third, fourth and fifth opinions until she found a diagnosis that made sense and a treatment plan that worked for her son. Kudos to her bravery and stubbornness! I have no idea when I might find myself in such a quandary but I only hope to have the drive exhibited by this author to break down those medical brick walls.

Could not believe what this mother went through. You think you have it hard. Read this story and you will thank God you have healthy children.

This is the first review I have written for a book. This is such an excellent book I had to write a review. I work in the Information Technology department of a Mental Health center. I have been sending e-mails to our clinicians and doctors asking if they have read the book and telling them they should. What an inspiration this book was. And we need to get the word out about the links between Mental health and physical health.

Within the top 3.

Sammy--he was a very interesting character indeed.

She did a wonderful job on all the characters. So believable that she was actually the mother in this true story.

Both!

Fantastic writing with a purpose. Thank you for sharing this amazing story.

Definitely!

The most memorable moments in this story are the moments of despair that this mother experienced in dealing with what seemed like an impossible situation.

I could not choose.

The book was moving throughout and reminded me of what a mother will do in response to her child suffering. It is amazing how the pieces of the story fell together to lead the listener thru this journey.