Mamma Called the Doctor: A Mother and Child's Final Journey

Antoinette Romana
iUniverse (2009)
ISBN 9781440125447
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (5/09)

Author and mother, Antoinette Romana has written what I’m sure was one of the hardest books to complete as a mother. Her wonderful, heartfelt story covers her time as a mother pregnant with her fourth child who has been diagnosed with Downs Syndrome.

Having already had three healthy children, Antoinette and her husband are delighted with the news of a fourth child. After having an amniocentesis, she finds that her life has been turned upside down by one phone call. Believing in a higher power and always wanting to have a large family, she and her husband begin a journey that no one wants. After discussions with family, genetic counselors and doctors the couple decides that they do not want their child living in a world where being different can be a hardship. They decide to send their child back to God.

This is a very high-impact book for everyone who has lost a child or knows someone who has. The author’s honesty and compassion during this journey will heal many souls. She discusses how many gave advice and how often medical personnel were not empathetic. It is a hard journey even for the strongest of families. The feelings she discusses and the decisions that have to be made will tear out your heart- but at the same time she lets everyone know that in time you do heal.

I was very pleased to see that she also spent a lot of time discussing her husband’s feelings and his sometimes inability to discuss their lost child. I also think that it shows that sometimes when situations like this occur, you don’t need to say anything- a hug will do.

“Mamma Called the Doctor: A Mother and Child's Final Journey” by Antoinette Romana is a must read for everyone.

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