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Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD
Crown
October 2009
On Sale: September 22, 2009
272 pages
ISBN: 0307461831
EAN: 9780307461834
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
The summer before entering sixth grade, Sammy, a bright and charming boy who lived on the coast of Maine, suddenly began to exhibit disturbing behavior. He walked and ate with his eyes shut, refused to bathe, burst into fits of rage, slithered against walls, and used his limbs instead of his hands to touch light switches, doorknobs, and faucets. SammyΓ’β¬β’s mother, Beth, already coping with the overwhelming responsibility of raising three sons alone, watched helplessly as her middle child descended into madness. Sammy was soon diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and later with Tourette syndrome. Unwilling to accept the doctorsΓ’β¬β’ prognoses for lifelong mental illness and repeated hospitalizations, Beth fought to uncover what was causing this decline. Racing against time as Sammy slipped further from reality, BethΓ’β¬β’s quest took her to the center of the medical communityΓ’β¬β’s raging debate about whether mental illness can be caused by infection. With the battle lines firmly drawn, Beth searched until she found two cutting-edge doctors who answered that question with a definitive yes. Together, they cured Sammy. Five years later, he remains symptom free. Driven by her desire to help others, Beth Maloney has infused every page of this triumphant journey with heart and passion. An important story, Saving Sammy is part manifesto, part medical mystery, but is at its heart the empowering and inspiring story of a motherΓ’β¬β’s determination to save her son, take on the medical establishmentΓ’β¬βand win.
 Media BuzzToday - September 24, 2009
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