A riveting and redemptive family memoir, The Four Walls of My Freedom is Donna Thomson’s account of raising a son with cerebral palsy and a passionate appeal to change the way we think about “the good life.”
Donna Thomson’s life was forever changed when her son Nicholas was born with cerebral palsy. A former actor, director, and teacher, Donna became his primary caregiver and embarked on a second career as a disability activist, author, and consultant.
Thomson vividly describes her experience in treading delicately through daily care, emergencies, and medical bureaucracy as she and her family cope with her son’s condition while maintaining value and dignity (for Nicholas, too). She brilliantly demonstrates the vital contribution that people with disabilities make to our society and addresses the ethics and economics of giving and receiving care.
Donna Thomson is a caregiver and the author of ‘The Four Walls of My Freedom: Lessons I’ve Learned From a Life of Caregiving’ (House of Anansi Press, 2014). Donna blogs frequently at her site ‘The Caregivers’ Living Room’ and serves as a caregiving advisor for Tyze Personal Networks and Saint Elizabeth Healthcare.